Results | University of Saint Joseph Research Output

Dias, Á., Quelhas, P., Mata, J., Lou, U. T., Ribeiro, M. L., & Borges, R. (2018). A origem e evolução dos magmas graníticos de Macao à luz de dados de geoquímica elementar e isotópica / Source and evolution of Macao granitic magmas: insights from wholerock geochemistry and isotopic signatures. XIV Congresso de Geoquímica dos Países de Língua Portuguesa e XIX Semana de Geoquímica (XIV CGPLP/XIX SG, international conference, Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal.

Amorim, M. C. P., Vasconcelos, R. O., Bolgan, M., Pedroso, S. S., & Fonseca, P. J. (2018). Acoustic communication in marine shallow waters: testing the acoustic adaptive hypothesis in sand gobies. Journal of Experimental Biology, 221(22). https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.183681

Skip to Next Section Acoustic communication is an important part of social behaviour of fish species that live or breed in shallow noisy waters. Previous studies have shown that some fish species exploit a quiet window in the background noise for communication. However, it remains to be examined whether hearing abilities and sound production of fish are adapted to marine habitats presenting high hydrodynamism. Here, we investigated whether the communication system of the painted (Pomatoschistus pictus) and the marbled (Pomatoschistus marmoratus) gobies is adapted to enhance sound transmission and reception in Atlantic shallow water environments. We recorded and measured the sound pressure levels of social vocalisations of both species, as well as snapshots of ambient noise of habitats characterised by different hydrodynamics. Hearing thresholds (in terms of both sound pressure and particle acceleration) and responses to conspecific signals were determined using the auditory evoked potential recording technique. We found that the peak frequency range (100–300 Hz) of acoustic signals matched the best hearing sensitivity in both species and appeared well adapted for short-range communication in Atlantic habitats. Sandy/rocky exposed beaches presented a quiet window, observable even during the breaking of moderate waves, coincident with the main sound frequencies and best hearing sensitivities of both species. Our data demonstrate that the hearing abilities of these gobies are well suited to detect conspecific sounds within typical interacting distances (a few body lengths) in Atlantic shallow waters. These findings lend support to the acoustic adaptive hypothesis, under the sensory drive framework, proposing that signals and perception systems coevolve to be effective within local environment constraints.

Gonçalves, D. (2014). Alternative pathway history in a fish with plastic reproductive tactic. Functional Ecology.

Gonçalves, D. M. F. (2016). Behavioral plasticity meets neuroplasticity: brain neurogenesis in the polymorphic fish Salaria pavo [Research Report]. University of Saint Joseph.

Fagundes, T., Simões, M. G., Saraiva, J. L., Ros, A. F. H., Gonçalves, D., & Oliveira, R. F. (2015). Birth date predicts alternative life‐history pathways in a fish with sequential reproductive tactics. Functional Ecology, 29(12), 1533–1542. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.12465

Tagulao, K. (2015). Bringing Life Science to Primary and Secondary School Students in Macao: From Genes to Environment [Research Report]. University of Saint Joseph.

Lara, R. A., & Vasconcelos, R. O. (2019). Characterization of the Natural Soundscape of Zebrafish and Comparison with the Captive Noise Conditions. Zebrafish, 16(2), 152–164. https://doi.org/10.1089/zeb.2018.1654

Zebrafish is a well-established model organism in hearing research. Although the acoustic environment is known to shape the structure and sensitivity of auditory systems, there is no information on the natural soundscape of this species. Moreover, zebrafish are typically reared in large-scale housing systems (HS), although their acoustic properties and potential effects on hearing remain unknown. We characterized the soundscape of both zebrafish natural habitats and laboratory captive conditions, and discussed possible impact on auditory sensitivity. Sound recordings were conducted in five distinct zebrafish habitats (Southwest India), from quieter stagnant environments with diverse biological/abiotic sounds to louder watercourses characterized by current and moving substrate sounds. Sound pressure level (SPL) varied between 98 and 126 dB re 1 μPa. Sound spectra presented most energy below 3000 Hz and quieter noise windows were found in the noisiest habitats matching the species best hearing range. Contrastingly, recordings from three zebrafish HS revealed higher SPL (122-143 dB) and most energy below 1000 Hz with more spectral peaks, which might cause significant auditory masking. This study establishes an important ground for future research on the adaptation of zebrafish auditory system to the natural soundscapes, and highlights the importance of controlling noise conditions in captivity.

Fan, G., Chan, J., Ma, K., Yang, B., Zhang, H., Yang, X., Shi, C., Law, H., Ren, Z., Xu, Q., Liu, Q., Wang, J., Chen, W., Shao, L., Gonçalves, D., Ramos, A., Cardoso, S. D., Guo, M., Cai, J., … Wang, Y. (2018). Chromosome-level reference genome of the Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens, a model species for the study of aggression. GigaScience. https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giy087

Vasconcelos, R. O., Alderks, P. W., & Sisneros, J. A. (2016). Development of Structure and Sensitivity of the Fish Inner Ear. In J. A. Sisneros (Ed.), Fish Hearing and Bioacoustics: An Anthology in Honor of Arthur N. Popper and Richard R. Fay (pp. 291–318). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21059-9_14

Fish represent the largest group of vertebrates and display the greatest diversity of auditory structures. However, studies addressing how the form and function of the auditory system change during development to enhance perception of the acoustic environment are rather sparse in this taxon compared to other vertebrate groups. An ontogenetic perspective of the auditory system in fishes provides a readily testable framework for understanding structure–function relationships. Additionally, studying ancestral models such as fish can convey valuable comparable information across vertebrates, as early developmental events are often evolutionary conserved. This chapter reviews the literature on the morphological development of the fish auditory system, with particular focus on the inner ear structures that evolve from an otic placode during early embryonic development and then continue to undergo differentiation and maturation in the postembryonic phase. Moreover, the chapter provides a systematic overview of how auditory sensitivity develops during ontogeny. Although most studies indicate a developmental improvement in auditory sensitivity, there is considerably species-specific variation. Lastly, the paucity of information and literature concerning the development of auditory capabilities for social communication in fishes is also discussed. Further investigation on the development of structure and function of the fish auditory system is recommended in order to obtain a deeper understanding of how ontogenetic morphological changes in the auditory pathway relate to modifications in acoustic reception, auditory processing, and the capacity to communicate acoustically.

Gonçalves, D. (2018). DISRUPT - Environmental Endocrine disruptors: Current situation in Macao, neurobehavioral effects and bioremediation strategies [Research Report]. University of Saint Joseph.

Dias, Á. (2019). Diving into the unknown: robotics as tools to study the deep-sea. Informed Scientific Sampling in Large-scale Outdoor Environments. International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems IROS, Macau.

Saraiva, J. L., Gonçalves, D., & Oliveira, R. F. (2013). Ecological modulation of reproductive behaviour in the peacock blenny: a mini-review. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, 39(1), 85–89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-012-9658-5

Cardoso, S. D., Gonçalves, D., Robalo, J. I., Almada, V. C., Canário, A. V. M., & Oliveira, R. F. (2013). Efficient isolation of polymorphic microsatellites from high-throughput sequence data based on number of repeats. Marine Genomics, 11, 11–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margen.2013.04.002

Gonçalves, D. (2018). FIGHT – Hormonal, pheromonal and genomic regulation of aggression in a fish model [Research Report]. University of Saint Joseph.

Dias, Á., Früh-Green, G. L., Bernasconi, S. M., & Barriga, F. J. A. S. (2011). Geochemistry and stable isotope constraints on high-temperature activity from sediment cores of the Saldanha hydrothermal field. Marine Geology, 279(1–4), 128–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2010.10.017

Dias, Á., Costa, P., Marques, A. F., Ribeiro, L., Madureira, P., Calado, A., Gonçalves, E., & Morato, T. (2019). Geochemistry of Fe-Si-(Mn) Chimneys from Luso Vent Field, MAR. Goldschmidt, Barcelona. https://goldschmidt.info/2019/abstracts/abstractView?id=2019003072

Dias, Á., Quelhas, P., Mata, J., & Wayne, D. (2019). Geochronological, geochemical and petrographic constraints on incremental pluton growth: the case of Macao granitic suite. Goldschmidt, Barcelona. https://goldschmidt.info/2019/abstracts/abstractView?id=2019004459

Gonçalves, D., & Oliveira, R. F. (2011). Hormones and Sexual Behavior of Teleost Fishes. In Hormones and Reproduction of Vertebrates (pp. 119–147). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-375009-9.10007-4

Costa, P., & Dias, Á. (2019). Hydrothermal Fe-Mn deposits from low-temperature systems of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. InterRidge Workshop on Hydrothermal Ore-forming Processes, Hangzhou.

Saraiva, J. L., Pignolo, G., Gonçalves, D., & Oliveira, R. F. (2012). Interpopulational variation of the mating system in the peacock blenny Salaria pavo. Acta Ethologica, 15(1), 25–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-011-0104-y