Centre for the Integrative Study of Animal Behaviour

Research Interests:

I'm primarily interested in Behavioural Ecology and in particular predator avoidance behaviour, learning and memory in freshwater fishes. I have conducted research on the behavioural ecology of predator avoidance in rainbowfish (Melanotaenia spp.). My more recent work was on guppies (P. reticulata) with Dr Kevin Laland at the Sub-department of Animal Behaviour, University of Cambridge. I have also investigated improving life skills in hatchery reared salmonids utilising social learning protocols and environmental enrichment.

Selected Publications:

Brown, C. and Warburton, K. (1997) Predator recognition and anti-predator responses in the rainbowfish, Melanotaenia eachamensis. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 41(1): 61-68.

Brown, C. and Warburton, K. (1999a) Differences in timidity and escape responses between predator-naïve and predator-sympatric rainbowfish populations. Ethology, 105(6) 491-502.

Brown, C. and Warburton, K. (1999b) Social mechanisms enhances escape responses in the rainbowfish Melanotaenia duboulayi. Env. Biol. Fish. 56(4), 55-459.

Brown, C. (2001) Familiarity with the test environment improves escape responses in the crimson spotted rainbowfish, Melanotaenia duboulayi. Animal Cognition, 4, 109-113.

Brown, C. and Laland, K.N.(2001) Social learning and life skills training for hatchery reared fish. Journal of Fish Biology, 59, 471-493.

Day, R. MacDonald, T., Brown, C., Laland, K., and Reader, S.M. (2001) Interactions between shoal size and conformity in guppy social foraging. Animal Behaviour, 62, 917-925.

Swaney, W., Kendal, J., Capon, H., Brown, C. and Laland, K. (2001) Familiarity facilitates social learning of foraging behaviour in the guppy. Animal Behaviour, 62, 591-598.

Brown, C. and Laland, K. (2002) Social enhancement and social inhibition in a novel foraging task in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Journal of Fish Biology, 61(4), 987-998.

Brown, C. and Laland, K. (2002) Social learning of a novel avoidance task in the guppy, P.reticulata: Conformity and social release. Animal Behaviour, 64(1) 41-47.

Brown, C. and Day, R. (2002) The future of stock enhancements: Bridging the gap between hatchery practice and conservation biology. Fish and Fisheries,3(2), 79-94.

Brown, C. (2002) Do female rainbowfish (Melanotaenia spp.) prefer to shoal with familiar individuals under predation pressure? Journal of Ethology, 20 (2), 89-94.

Brown, C., Davidson, T. and Laland K. (2003) Environmental enrichment and prior experience improve foraging behaviour in hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon. Journal of Fish Biology, 63 (s1), 187-196.

Brown, C. and Laland, K. (2003) Social learning in fishes: A review. Fish and Fisheries, 4 (3), 280-288.

Laland, K., Brown, C. and Krause J. (2003) Learning in Fishes: An introduction. Fish and Fisheries, 4 (3), 199-202.

Brown, C., Markula, A. and Laland, K. (2003) Social learning of prey location in hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon. Journal of Fish Biology, 63(3), 738-745.

Brown, C. (2003) Habitat-predator association and avoidance in rainbowfish (Melanotaenia spp.). Ecology of Freshwater Fishes, 12(2), 118-126.

Brown, C., Davidson, T. and Laland K. (2003) Environmental enrichment and prior experience improve foraging behaviour in hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon. Journal of Fish Biology, 63 (s1), 187-196.

Brown, C., Gardner, G. and Braithwaite, V.A. (2004) Population variation in lateralised eye use in the poeciliid Brachyraphis episcopi. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. B (suppl), 271, S455-S457.

Brown, C. and Braithwaite, V.A. (2004) Size matters: A test of boldness in eight populations of bishop, Brachyraphis episcopi Animal Behaviour, 68(6) 1325-1329.

Brown, C., Gardner, G. and Braithwaite, V.A. (2005) Differential stress responses in fish from areas of high and low predation pressure. Journal of Comparative Physiology, 175, 305-312.

Brown, C., Jones F.C and Braithwaite (2005) In situ examination of boldness-shyness traits in the tropical poeciliid, Brachyraphis episcopi. Animal Behaviour, 70, 1003-1009.

Brown, C. (2005) Cerebral lateralisation; Social constraints and coordinated antipredator responses. Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 28(4), 591-592.

Brown, C. and Braithwaite, V.A. (2005) Effects of predation pressure on the cognitive ability of the poeciliid Brachyraphis episcopi. Behavioural Ecology, 16(2), 482-487.

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