Dr Thomas Breithaupt

Tel: +44 (0)1482 465924
FAX: +44 (0)1482 465458
Email: t.breithaupt@hull.ac.uk

General

I received my PhD at the University of Konstanz, Germany, in 1991 for studies on hydrodynamic reception and behaviour of crayfish. During a postdoctoral stay at the Marine Biological Laboratory (1992-1994) in Woods Hole I developed my enthusiasm for chemical signals and senses of crustaceans. From 1994 to 2000 I was Assistant Professor at the University of Konstanz where I developed a research program to study orientation and communication by mechanical and chemical cues in crustaceans and freshwater fish. Awarded by a NERC fellowship I joined the Department of Biology in 2001 and together with Dr Joerg Hardege established the Sensory and Chemical Ecology group. Between 2003 and 2006 I was as a member of the NERC peer review college providing advice for NERC research. In 2004 I have been appointed as a lecturer.

Research Interests

My research is driven by my fascination in the sensory ecology of aquatic animals. Animal behaviour such as communication, foraging and predator avoidance behaviour is mediated by sensory stimuli. I am particularly interested in chemo- and mechanoreception as these are the oldest and most common sensory modalities of aquatic animals. My research projects include the investigation of the physical and chemical nature of signals and cues, the analysis of communication and orientation behaviour and studies of the sensory abilities of aquatic animals. I am also interested in the evolution of communication signals. My recent approaches have focussed on the chemical nature of crustacean and fish pheromones.

Current projects

• The chemical nature and behavioural function of pheromones in crayfish (NERC case PhD project Fiona Berry)
• Chemical communication in two related species Lake Malawi cichlids (Pisces) (PhD project Boye Gricar, collaboration with the University of Faro)
• Chemical communication in the Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus (MRes project, Emi Katoh)
• The chemical basis of agonistic interactions in European and American lobsters (link to http://www.hull.ac.uk/chemecol/lobster%20project.html)
• Mechanisms of mate detection and choice in the clam worm Nereis succinea (Polychaeta) (link of http://www.hull.ac.uk/chemecol/Nereis.html)

Teaching Responsibilities

• Plant and animal diversity (58167) Module coordinator
• Diversity of aquatic organisms (58168) Module coordinator
• Ecology and evolutionary biology (58171)
• Ecology and evolutionary biology with marine field work (58172)
• Ecophysiology of aquatic plants and animals (58273)

Selected Publications

Denissenko, P., Lukaschuk, S. and Breithaupt, T. (2007) The flow generated by an active olfactory system of the red swamp crayfish. Journal of Experimental Biology 210, 4083-4091.

Hayden, D., Jennings, A., Müller, C., Pascoe, D., Bublitz, R., Webb, H., Breithaupt, T., Watkins, L., and Hardege, J. (2007). Sex-specific mediation of foraging in the shore crab, Carcinus maenas. Hormones and Behavior 52, 162-168.

Pohlmann, K., Atema, J. & Breithaupt, T. (2004) The importance of the lateral line in nocturnal predation of piscivorous catfish. J. Exp. Biol. 207, 2971-2978

Breithaupt, T. and Eger, P. (2002) Urine makes the difference: chemical communication in fighting crayfish made visible. J. Exp. Biol. 205, 1221-1231

Schapker, H., Breithaupt, T., Shuranova, Z., Burmistrov, Y. and Cooper, R.L. (2002) Heart rate and respiratory correlative measures in crayfish during social interactions. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A 131: 397-407

Breithaupt, T. (2001) Sound perception in aquatic crustaceans. In: Wiese K (ed) The crustacean nervous system. Springer, Berlin, pp. 548-559

Pohlmann, K., Grasso, F. and Breithaupt, T. (2001) Tracking wakes: the nocturnal predatory strategy of piscivorous catfish. P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98: 7371-7374

Breithaupt, T. (2001) The fan organs of crayfish enhance chemical information flow. Biol. Bull. 200: 150-154

Breithaupt, T. and Atema, J. (2000) The timing of chemical signaling with urine in dominance fights of male lobsters (Homarus americanus). Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 49: 67-78

Renz, M. and Breithaupt, T. (2000) Habitat use of the crayfish Austropotamobius torrentium in small brooks and in Lake Constance, Southern Germany. Bull. Fr. Pêche Piscic. 356, 139-154

Breithaupt, T., Lindstrom, D. and Atema, J. (1999) Urine release in freely moving catheterised lobsters (Homarus americanus) with reference to feeding and social activities. J. Exp. Biol. 202, 837-844