My research interest focuses on evolution and function of animal behaviour. I have ongoing projects in three different areas:

• Sexual selection and sexual conflicts in poeciliids fish
  In many species the two sexes have divergent interests in reproduction. Conflict over mating frequency is prominent in poeciliids as females store sperm and need a few copulation while males are very ardent and attempt to mate with all females they encounter. We study the consequences of male sexual harassment and the strategies used by females to minimize the costs of sexual conflict
  
  
• The evolution of cerebral lateralisation in vertebrates
  The presence of cerebral lateralization is now firmly established in almost all vertebrate classes. We are presently investigating the selective advantages of functional brain asymmetries and the mechanisms explaining the maintenance of individual variation in these traits
  
  
• Cognitive mechanisms in fish
  We study visual perception, spatial orientation and numerical abilities in teleost fish. We are especially interested in understanding how ecology and phylogeny interact to produce similarity and variation in cognitive mechanisms across vertebrates

Facchin,L., Argenton,F., Bisazza, A. 2009. Lines of Danio rerio selected for opposite behavioural lateralization show differences in anatomical left-right asymmetries. Behavioural Brain Research, 197 (1), 157-165.

Agrillo,C., Dadda,M., Serena,G., Bisazza, A. 2009. Use of number by fish. PloS ONE, 4(3), e4786, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004786.

Agrillo,C., Dadda,M., Bisazza,A. 2009. Escape behaviour elicited by a visual stimulus. A comparison between lateralised and non-lateralised female topminnows. Laterality, on-line first, DOI: 10.1080/13576500802396693.

Dadda,M., Pilastro,A., Bisazza,A 2008. Innate responses to male sexual harassment in female mosquitofish. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 63(1), 53-62.

Alcaraz,C., Bisazza,A., Garcia-Berthou, E. 2008. Salinity mediates the competitive interactions between invasive mosquitofish and an endangered fish. Oecologia 1, 205-213 PDF

Sovrano,V.A., Bisazza,A. 2008. Recognition of partly occluded objects by fish. Animal Cognition 11, 161-166 PDF

Agrillo,C., Dadda,M., Serena,G. Bisazza,A. 2008. Do fish count? Spontaneous discrimination of quantity in female mosquitofish. Animal Cognition, on line first, DOI: 10.1007/s10071-008-0140-9 PDF

see complete list of publications