Research interests in physiology and behavior

We examine sensory mechanisms, hormonal regulation and evolution of communication behavior in electric fish. South American weakly electric fish are nocturnally active and live in muddy waters of the Amazon River basin. They use their electric discharges both for locating objects in the environment and for communicating with each other. Males and females give off distinct electric signals during courtship and aggression, and these sex differences are generated through the actions of steroid hormones such as testosterone and estrogen.

My present research in physiology and behavrior has three components. First, I try to decode their “electric languange” used in social interaction by observing fish in different behavioral contexts. I modify specific sensory stimuli and examine how the fish’s electrical signals change. Second, through immunohistological analysis of their brains, I trace which neural pathways are responsive to steroid hormones and how these pathways are activated in specific social contexts. Finally, I compare hormonal regulation of the electrocommunication system in various species to address how the endocrine system evolves to generate a diversity of sex-specific behaviors.