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Various zebrafish (Danio rerio) malformations, such as cyrtosis and short tails, were found in the juvenile stage after the embryos were exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) (72 mJ/cm2). Grape seed proanthocyandin extract (GSE) (1 mg/ml) was injected into early zebrafish gastrula to protect the embryos against UVB irradiation. The rates of mortality and abnormalities were significantly lower in GSE-treated embryos than in the control group. Total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and malonaldehyde (MDA) content of juvenile zebrafish were determined to evaluate the antioxidant status accurately. The results showed that the T-AOC content of early GSE-UVB treated embryos was increased and the MDA content was reduced compared to those exposed to UVB alone. The gene expression pattern in different groups were further investigated by whole-mount in situ hybridization. Caspase-3 was used as a marker for apoptosis. At 24 hpf (hour post fertilization) and 36 hpf stages, the expression of caspase-3 was enhanced after UVB irradiation and GSE injection reduced the expression of caspase-3 after UVB irradiation. These results demonstrated that GSE alleviated the amount of damage following UVB irradiation in zebrafish embryos. This provided evidence for GSE's further application as an antioxidant.