Decoding Temperature-Dependent Reproduction: Behavioural, Endocrine, and Neural Mechanisms in Cichlids

Cel

Reproduction is central to evolutionary fitness, shaped by selective pressures across levels of organismal function. Abiotic factors, like temperature, strongly influence reproductive timing in many taxa, yet how environmental cues are detected, integrated, and translated into reproductive decisions remains poorly understood. This gap is urgent in the context of climate change, where rising temperatures threaten reproductive success, population stability, biodiversity, and, with aquaculture expanding as a major protein source, affect food security. This project investigates how temperature regulates reproductive physiology and behaviour in teleost fish, using cichlids with contrasting strategies: the seasonal breeder Australoheros facetus and the non-seasonal breeder Astatotilapia burtoni. Objectives are to determine how temperature affects sexual motivation, spawning and endocrine dynamics; to assess long-term effects of early-life thermal exposure on gonadal maturation and neural circuit formation; and to map and functionally characterise temperature-sensitive TRP-expressing neurons, testing their causal role using CRISPR/Cas9 knockouts and temporally controlled transgenic cell-ablation approaches. By integrating behavioural assays, developmental manipulations, hormonal profiling, neural mapping, and genetic interventions, this interdisciplinary project provides the first mechanistic framework for temperature-dependent reproduction in teleosts. Findings will advance understanding of environmental control of reproduction, reveal evolutionary divergence in thermal sensitivity, and improve predictions of species resilience under climate change. The project aligns with the MSCA Work Programme by fostering interdisciplinary research, international collaboration and mobility, and providing advanced training to enhance the fellow’s career, while generating insights relevant to biology, conservation, aquaculture, and climate adaptation, issues central to multiple UN SDGs.