Fabrice DUPONCHELLE

My main research interests focus on fish ecology and evolution. In particular, I try to understand the extent of environmental influence, both natural and anthropic, on variations in fish life history strategies and whether observed phenotypic changes are environmentally-driven or genetically-based. The results have direct implications for biodiversity and fisheries management, but also for the improvement of breeding environmental conditions in aquaculture. Since 2002, my research focuses mainly on Amazonian fishes of commercial interest (human consumption or aquarium trade), which often are among the most threaten species. Genetic variability, gene flow, phylogeography and phylogeny are important components for interpreting the observed strategies, and I develop important collaborations with geneticists from our team.

I am also interested in reproductive and behavioural mechanisms (sexual selection) involved in speciation processes, in particular in cichlids. In a lesser extent, I also participate with my colleagues in experiments that aim at mastering the biological cycles (induced reproduction, larval growth and rearing) of Amazonian species in aquaculture conditions.

These research are carried out in collaboration with our partners from Bolivia (Universidad Mayor de San Simón, Cochabamba ; Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz ; Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno, Santa Cruz), Peru (Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia Peruana, Iquitos ; Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and Universidad Nacional Federico Villareal, Lima), Colombia (SINCHI : Instituto Amazonica de Investigaciones Cientificas), Brésil (INPA -Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus ; UNIR –Universidade Federal do Rondonia, Porto Velho) and Germany (University of Trier).

I am a founding member of the Network RIIA (Red de Investigación sobre la Ictiofauna Amazónica; www.riiaamazonia.org) and of the International Mixt Laboratory (LMI) - EDIA (Evolution and Domestication of Amazonian Ichthyofauna).