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Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution (of Fishes) Laboratory |
Dr Culum Brown
I am primarily interested in fish biology
with an emphasis on behavioural ecology. I frequently look to apply behavioural
ecology research to fisheries or conservation management, including life-skills
training for hatchery-reared fishes. My current research project examines the
evolution and development of cerebral lateralisation in vertebrates using
rainbowfish as a model species (Australian Research Fellowship sponsored by the
ARC). I have a particular fascination for Australian native fish. I’m editor of
“Fish Cognition and Behaviour” published in 2006 by Blackwell Scientific and
Assistant Editor of “The Journal of Fish Biology”. Visit Culum’s
web-page for more details and list of publications.
Melanotaenia trifasciata (banded rainbowfish)
Email: cbrown@bio.mq.edu.au
Current Lab Members:
Kevin Woo: Cognition and
behaviour of cuttlefish
David Wells: Brush turkey
mate choice
Andrew Bruce:
Eduardo Gallo: Bird
communities on the Central Coast of NSW
Erin Kydd:
Social learning in rainbowfish
Steph
Snoyman: Micro-habitat choice in grey-headed flying
fox
Jennie Morgan:
Interactions between introduced redfin and
Diana Magat:
Cerebral lateralization in Australian parrots
Suzzi Artiss: Brain and behaviour of Australian rainbowfish
Krystle
Keller: Effect of introduced fish on native fish
Research Opportunities:
Enquire about potential projects
available in the lab
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Kevin is a post-doc in the lab examining a range of
behavioural cognitive traits in the morning cuttlefish. Cephlapods
are well known for their intelligence, but there is surprisingly little work
done on Australian species. This project will have a number of facets, but we
are mostly interested in individual recognition, learning, memory and problem
solving. Morning cuttlefish are often found in small aggregations, but as yet
we know little about why they come together, if the groups are stable and if
they recognise the individuals in the group via visual or olfactory cues.
Email: kung_fu_hedgehog@yahoo.co.nz
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David
Wells
David enrolled in his PhD in 2007 and is
investigating breeding behaviour in brush turkeys. He is primarily interested
in mate choice and will use a combination of remote behavioural observations of
individuals at the male’s mounds via video camera and molecular techniques to
identify paternity and maternity in turkeys.
Email: dwells@bio.mq.edu.au
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A male brush-turkey tending his mound. |
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Andrew
Bruce
Andrew enrolled in his Masters degree in
2007 and is investigating the biology of the Macquarie Perch. Macquarie perch
are listed as endangered and are confined to the Marray-darling
drainage as well as limited number of drainages on the south-east coast of
Email: andrew.bruce@dpi.nsw.gov.au
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Electrofishing for |
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Birds
depend on a wide range of resources, that’ may vary with environmental changes
over time. In the face of environmental
alterations some species increase, whereas others decline and even become
extinct. My research focuses on changes in abundance and composition of
avifauna in
Email:
eduardogalloc@yahoo.com
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Scaly Breasted Lorikeets |
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When making decisions, animals often gain
new information by observing others (social learning). Theoretical models show
that transmission pathways of novel information through animal groups can be
predicted by examining social interactions between individuals within the
group. For example, if A spends more time associating with B than with C, then
new information is more likely to be transmitted through A and B rather than A
and C.
Here we address the following aim: Can
the path of social information transfer be predicted by examining social
networks?
The project uses the crimson spotted rainbowfish, Melanotaenia duboulayi, as the model species
(pictured Left). This research will provide insights into the development of
stable behavioural traditions in animal populations which underscore the
evolution of human culture.
Email: erinkydd@yahoo.com
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I am
looking at the micro-climate preferences of roosting Grey-headed Flying-foxes
within the
See
the WWF film
about this research
Email: ssnoyman@bio.mq.edu.au
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The Macquarie Perch is listed as threatened in NSW and
Victoria. One of the listed threatening processes is the negative interactions
with invasive species such as Redfin. This project
investigates the interactions between
Email: jmorgan@bio.mq.edu.au
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Diana Magat
Cerebral lateralisation refers to the partitioning of
cognitive function between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. The trait is ubiquitous among vertebrates
often overtly expressed as hand or eye preferences. Parrots are renown for their intelligence,
but more importantly, they are very good at manipulating objects with their
hands. Thus establishing handedness in many species is a very simple
prospect. Handedness in humans, however,
does not necessarily reflect the lateralised function of other cognitive
traits, but little is known about this relationship in other animals. This
project will investigate the relationship between hand preferences and eye
preferences in a range of Australian parrot species in a variety of contexts.
Email: maria.magat@students.mq.edu.au
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Unlike
the brains of most vertebrates, fish brains remain relatively plastic right
throughout ontogeny thus making them ideal subjects for the study of neurogenisis and cognition. A variety of animals that are
reared in enriched environments show enhanced rates of neuronal growth in their
brains which appears to have a number 
of behavioural and cognitive correlates.
For example, rainbow trout reared in hatcheries (very boring environment) have
a number of deficits in gross brain morphology compared to wild fish which may
explain their unusual behaviour and poor survival rates when they are released
into the wild. This project investigates the link between rearing environment,
brain morphology and cognition in rainbowfish. Specifically we are interested
to know if living in enriched environments effects brain morphology and,
ultimately, rates of learning.
Email: suzanne.artiss@students.mq.edu.au
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Kystle Keller
My research project is on the behavioural
interactions between the introduced plague minnow, Gambusia holbrooki and the native ornate
rainbowfish, Rhadinocentrus ornatus. R. ornatus is
a threatened small freshwater fish with a limited and patchy distribution on
the east coast of and shares much of its habitat with Gambusia. Gambusia is an
aggressive pest fish, which was introduced to
Email: funky_fish68@hotmail.com
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Rhadinocentrus ornatus (Ornate rainbowfish) |
Gambusia
holbrooki (plague
minnow) |
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Hons Project Available in the Lab
Grey-headed flying foxes are currently
listed as vulnerable and are threatened by a number of processes including land
clearance and climate change. These large bats roost communally along the east
coast of