George S. Losey

PhD Scripps Institute of Oceanography, UC San Diego (Marine Biology), 1968

Professor, Department of Zoology
Researcher, Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology

Department of Zoology, University of Hawai`i
2538 McCarthy Mall, Edmondson 152
Honolulu, HI 96822
fax: (808) 956-9812
losey@hawaii.edu

Ethology of reef fishes especially regarding UV vision

[publications] [graduate students]
The zoology department has an active program in the behavior of marine reef animals. We are best equipped and prepared for research on reef fishes but will entertain proposals for work on other animal groups. Research centers on the Coconut Island facility of the Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology. I favor research on ethological approaches to social and symbiotic behavior of fishes. A strongly quantitative and experimental approach is standard. My current interests are in the behavioral control of sex change, analysis of social or symbiotic communication, the functions of UV-sensitive vision in marine animals and continuing interest in cleaning symbiosis. The laboratory is unsurpassed in access to coral reef environments and is well equipped with running seawater aquaria, video and computerized event recording analysis of behavior. I do not encourage sociobiological approaches and will not accept students working on marine mammals.

Current projects in my group include the following:

  1. Mate choice and sexual selection in gobiid fishes.
  2. Cleaning symbiosis of green sea turtles by reef fishes. There are some interesting questions as to why this apparently abundant food supply has not been exploited by more fishes.
  3. The ethology of sex change and sex determination in Dascyllus spp. and detailed description of the behavioral changes that occur during sex change in damselfishes.
  4. Study of the UV visual world of shallow water reef organisms, UV vision and UV coloration in reef fishes allowed by the development of a unique underwater UV-sensitive video system.
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Representative publications

Losey GS, Cronin TW, Goldsmith TH, Hyde D, Marshall NJ, McFarland WN. 1999. The UV visual world of fishes: a review. J Fish Biol 54:921-943.

Losey GS, Mahon JL, Danilowicz B. 1995. Innate recognition by host fish of their cleaning symbiont. Ethol 100:277-283.

Losey GS, Sevenster P. 1995. Can threespine stickle-backs learn when to display? Rewarded displays. Anim Behav 49:137-150.

Losey GS, Hugie DM. 1994. Prior anesthesia impairs a chemically-mediated fright response in a gobiid fish. Chemical Ecol 20:1877-1883.

Losey GS, Balazs GH, Privitera LA. 1994. Cleaning symbiosis between the wrasse, Thalassoma duperry, and the green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas. Copeia 684-690.

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Current students

Kazue Asoh (PhD)
sex determination in the genus Dascyllus
Scott Erdmann (PhD)
UV vision and coloration in fishes
Lisa Privitera (PhD)
reproductive dynamics of a goby
Tomoko Yoshikawa (PhD)
sex determination in the genus Dascyllus
Jill Zamzow (PhD)
UV vision and coloration in fishes
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Last update: 5 December 2000
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The University of Hawai`i is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution.