To identify genes required for development of the brain and somites, we performed a pilot screen of gynogenetic haploid zebrafish embryos produced from mothers mutagenized by viral insertion. We describe an efficient method to identify new mutations and the affected gene. In addition, we report the results of a small-scale screen that identified five genes required for brain development, including novel alleles of nagie oko, pou5f1, ribosomal protein L36, and n-cadherin, as well as a novel allele of the laminin g1 gene that is required for normal skeletal muscle fiber organization and somite patterning.