(Dept. 4) Fish Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture
In the Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture we seek to understand the ecological and evolutionary processes that structure populations and communities of freshwater fishes and affect their functions and ecological services. An important part of our work focuses on interactions between natural and anthropogenic factors and their effects on evolution, reproduction, stress, development, growth, behaviour, productivity and recreational quality of fish. Our goal is to create the scientific foundations for the conservation of wild fish populations and for sustainable fisheries management and aquaculture. The methodological approaches include hypothesis-driven laboratory research, mesocosm experimentation, lake manipulation, comparative field studies and theoretical modelling.
Research groups
Department members
Selected publications
Strategic choices of attack location allow predators to counter a collective prey defence
Shoals of sulphur mollies blanket the water surface of toxic sulphur springs in Mexico. The tiny fish survive attacks of birds through creating collective waves. New research now shows that their avian predators are adapting too, changing where they attack to avoid triggering the fish’s powerful group defence. The fish, in turn, appear to fight back with a surprising form of collective “memory.”
A collaborative research agenda for restoring free-flowing rivers
The Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) calls for restoring at least 25,000 kilometres of free-flowing rivers by 2030. Translating this ambition into implementation remains challenging due to differing restoration priorities across ecological, social, economic and governance contexts. This study offers a roadmap to support the implementation of the NRR's goal of restoring free-flowing rivers.
Persistent inequities in global lake science
The study shows that, of the approximately 2,500 lakes that had been scientifically investigated by 2020, around 50 per cent were located in North America, 21 per cent in Asia, and 16 per cent in Europe. In contrast, lakes in Africa, South America and Oceania have been much less researched.
One-quarter of freshwater fauna threatened with extinction
The largest global assessment of freshwater animals on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to date has revealed that 24 per cent of the world’s freshwater fish, dragonfly, damselfly, crab, crayfish and shrimp species are at high risk of extinction.
Collective anti-predator escape manoeuvres through optimal attack and avoidance strategies
The research team investigated the predator-prey behaviour of striped marlins (Kajikia audax) and sardine shoals (Sardinops sagax caerulea) in the open ocean. Their findings reveal that individual prey in groups follows simple decision-making rules, which lead to complex, collective self-organized manoeuvers – and that this response is something predators can capitalize on.
