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:: Current research project
The influence of neuroendocrine manipulation on the cleanerfish Labroides dimidiatus ability to learn and solve cooperative tasks
The main goal of my research is to establish links between specific hormonal action and cooperative behaviour, that is, to analyze the modulatory effect of exogenously administrated hormones on individual cleaner behavioural decisions. Specifically, I want to find out whether interspecific cleaning mutualism is actually an expression of cooperative or deceptive behaviour (aka social) in which case, the solving of a social task will prove to be hormone regulated or if otherwise, hormones have an higher significant impact on cleaners learning abilities in a nonsocial context (aka spatial related task, described below). Cleaners (males and females) are being tested in controlled conditions, at the Lisbon Oceanário. For the learning experiments, I use a well-established experimental design that has been used successfully on cleaner fish before. In this design, clients, mucus and ectoparasites are replaced by Plexiglas plates, prawn and fish flakes.
Funded by: PTDC/MAR/105276/2008
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