Curriculum
Tyrone Lucon Xiccato
Associate Professor in Ethology and Animal Biology (BIO/05)
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara.
Email: tyrone.luconxiccato@unife.it
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/tyroneluconxiccato/
CURRICULUM VITAE E STUDIORUM
SUMMARY
Research: My primary focus is on animal evolutionary biology, with emphasis on the causes and consequences of variability of cognitive functions such as learning, memory, and executive functions like cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control. This includes examining these cognitive mechanisms in the context of human-driven environmental changes. I work with a diverse range of species, particularly fish, amphibians and invertebrates. My research has been widely recognised and published in leading zoological journals such as Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, Animal Behaviour, Behavioral Ecology, Behavioural Brain Research, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, and Animal Cognition, as well as in prestigious biology and multidisciplinary journals such as Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Biology Letters, iScience, and Communication Biology. My works on anthropogenetic effects have been also published in notable environmental science journals like Chemosphere, Science of the Total Environment, and Aquatic Toxicology.
International experience: research periods in US and Canada.
Publications: 90 papers in 10 years academic age.
Collaborations: 12 national and 6 international.
Grants: overall ~ €1.500.000
Didactic&Mentoring: teaching Zoology, Ethology, Evolution, Animal Psychologyand Psychobiology;
>100 student projects and thesis; 39 papers with students.
INDEX
1. PERSONAL INFORMATION
2. EDUCATION AND ACADEMIC POSITIONS
3. ABILITAZIONE SCIENTIFICA NAZIONALE
4. AWARDS
4.1 Honours
4.2 Press Release
5. RESEARCH
5.1 Advancement of Knowledge
5.2 International Experience
5.3 Publications
5.3.1 Statistics
5.3.2 List of Papers in International Journals
5.4 Grants
5.4.1 Individual Grants
5.4.2 Grants as Collaborator
5.5 Current Collaborations
5.6 Conferences
5.6.1 Chair
5.6.2 Talks
5.6.3 Posters
5.6.4 Talks as Co-author
5.7 Membership of Research Associations
6. DIDACTIC
6.1 Teaching
6.2 Supervising and Mentoring
7. SERVICE
7.1 Editor
7.2 Peer Review
7.3 Ph.D. Programs
8. THIRD MISSION
1. PERSONAL INFORMATION
Date of birth: 17 February 1988 Place of birth: Camposampiero (PD), Italy
ID: CA36478DZ Fiscal Code: LCNTRN88B17B563I
Snail mail: Work: Dept. of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, via Luigi Borsari 46, 44121, Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
Permanent address: via Cavini 3, 35010 San Giorgio delle Pertiche, PD, Italy
Current address: via Pier Paolo Pasolini, 44124 Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
Office phone: +39 0532455478 Cell phone: +39 3892774800
Skype: tyronelx
2. EDUCATION AND ACADEMIC POSITIONS
2024-now Associate professor, University of Ferrara
2021-2024 Assistant professor senior (RTDb), University of Ferrara
2018-2021 Assistant professor junior (RTDa), University of Ferrara
2016-2017 Post-doc, University of Padova
2016 Ph.D. in Psychological Sciences (Psychobiology), University of Padova
2012 M.Sc. in Evolutionary Biology, University of Padova (110 cum laude/110)
2010 Bachelor’s in Biology, University of Padova (score: 108/110)
3. ABILITAZIONE SCIENTIFICA NAZIONALE (National scientific habilitation)
Settore Concorsuale 05/B1 – II Fascia – Secondo Quadrimestre
from 10/10/2019 to 10/10/2028
4. AWARDS
4.1 Honours
2022 International Prize for Organismic-Evolutionary Zoology ‘Mario Benazzi e Giuseppina Lentati’ from Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei.
2020 Invited speaker at Parma Darwin Day
2018 ‘Outstanding reviewer’ (top 10th percentile) for Animal Behaviour.
2017 Top Young European Scientist in UK, Germany and Italy with 1-5 academic age
by www.topitalianscientists.org
4.2 International Press Release (sample)
Nature Italy: https://www.nature.com/articles/d43978-023-00053-4#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20adds%20to,shed%20light%20on%20their%20evolution.&text=A%20female%20zebrafish%20(Danio%20rerio,appear%20to%20have%20numerical%20abilities.
JEB: https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/226/17/JEB245024/326580/Guppies-learn-differently-when-their-food-is
BBC Earth: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170426-why-fish-do-not-deserve-their-reputation-for-forgetfulness
Inside Science: https://www.insidescience.org/news/male-guppies-try-swim-through-walls-females-go-around
Science Trends: https://sciencetrends.com/treefrogs-use-quantity-discrimination-abilities-to-choose-among-microhabitats/
Ethologisch: https://ethologisch.de/linksaeugige-zebrabaerblinge-haben-eine-schwaechere-impulskontrolle/
5. RESEARCH
5.1 Advancement of Knowledge
My primary research interest is to understand how and why behaviour and cognition differ both between and within species, and how this variability contributes to evolutionary processes. My work in zoology stands out for its multidisciplinary approach, integrating evolutionary biology, classical ethology, behavioural ecology, neurobiology, and cognitive sciences, which I have developed throughout my academic training. My research has led to several key advancements in knowledge:
1. Conserved behavioural and cognitive abilities in fish and amphibians
Traditionally, cognition and behaviour in vertebrates with simpler nervous systems, such as fish and amphibians, have been considered basic. However, my research has demonstrated surprisingly complex abilities in these animals. For example, certain fish species exhibit highly efficient learning (Ethology 2019) and spatial navigation abilities (Anim. Behav. 2017a), as well as problem-solving skills related to foraging (Curr. Zool. 2020). Additionally, I have uncovered cognitive functions such as numerical computation (Anim. Cogn. 2014), cognitive flexibility (Biol. Lett. 2014; Anim. Cogn. 2017), object recognition memory (Behav. Process. 2014), and inhibitory control (Sci. Rep. 2017) in fish. In amphibians, my research has demonstrated the ability to discriminate quantities (Anim. Behav. 2018a) and process multiple simultaneous stimuli (Anim. Behav. 2018b). Collectively, these findings suggest that many cognitive and behavioural features seen in birds and mammals may have evolved early in vertebrate history.
2. Sex and individual variability in cognition
While over a century of research has been dedicated to studying cognitive variability in humans, other species, particularly those with simpler nervous systems, have often been overlooked. In these groups, my research provided evidence of significant cognitive variability within the same species, particularly based on sex. For instance, female guppies display superior behavioural flexibility compared to males (Biol. Lett. 2014; Anim. Behav. 2017b; Anim. Cogn. 2020), while males perform better in spatial navigation tasks (Anim. Behav. 2017b). Furthermore, I have shown individual cognitive differences within the same sex (Curr. Zool. 2020; Anim. Cogn. 2020). These findings indicate that cognitive variability is not unique to humans and may have evolved early in vertebrate history. I have reviewed these results in 'Individual Differences in Cognition Among Teleost Fish' (2017, Behav. Proc.) and in a review in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2022). Additionally, I explored similar variations in invertebrates in a recent review in Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. (2024).
3. Evolutionary mechanisms maintaining cognitive variation
The cognitive variability observed in my studies is unexpected, as natural selection is thought to either favour high cognitive capacities or reduce variation around a species-specific optimum. Through both lab and field experiments on fish and amphibians, I am investigating the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for maintaining this variability. My work highlights the role of both genetic (J. Fish. Biol. 2020; Proc. Royal Soc. B 2022) and developmental plasticity (Behav. Ecol. 2017; Curr. Zool. 2019; Biology 2020; iScience 2021; Anim. Behav. 2022; Proc. Royal Soc. B 2023). I have also shown that constraints between cognitive functions influence crucial survival tasks, such as predator avoidance and foraging (Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 2017). My findings further suggest that cognitive variation may be shaped by indirect selective forces due to its correlation with behaviour (e.g., personality and lateralization) and physiology (Front. Psychol. 2017; Curr. Zool. 2020b; Biol. Lett. 2020; Anim. Behav. 2021; Proc. Royal Soc. B, under review; PNAS, under review). I am currently exploring the proximate molecular mechanisms underlying cognitive variability (Curr. Biol., under review; Anim. Cogn. under review) and its fitness consequences (PNAS, under review).
4. Animal cognition in a changing world
Given the high cognitive plasticity observed, my team has explored how human-induced environmental changes affect animal cognition. We confirmed that factors such as hypoxia, artificial light at night, and chemical pollution can impair cognitive abilities in fish (JEB 2014; Chemosphere 2023; STOTEN 2023; Biol. Lett. 2023; Anim. Behav. 2024; JEB, under review). Moreover, we have shown that these cognitive impacts extend to the welfare of captive animals (Physiol. Behav. 2023; Ethology 2024; Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2024).
5. Development of novel paradigms
To address many of the research questions described above, I developed new methodological approaches and cognitive tasks specifically tailored to species like fish and amphibians, which previously lacked suitable behavioural paradigms. These advancements have significantly contributed to the field and have been adopted by researchers using fish models in applied biomedical research (Behav. Process. 2014; Anim. Cogn. 2017a, 2017b; Behav. Brain Res. 2020; J. Neurosci. Methods 2020). I have also worked on automating existing tasks (Ethology 2019), enabling more efficient and accurate data collection.
5.2. International Experience
2015 Visiting Scholar at Department of Biomedial Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Canada (6 months)
2013 Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, U.S. (2 months)
5.3 Publications
5.3.1 Statistics
Number of publications: 90
First author: 52 Senior/last author: 15 Single author: 4
With international co-authors: 19 With students: 39
Citations: Google Scholar=2122; Scopus=1764; Web of Sciences=1573
H-index: Google Scholar=26; Scopus=22; Web of Sciences=22; i10-index: Google Scholar=56
ORCID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1017-9230
Scopus:
56135541300
Web of Science ResearcherID:
AAG-9221-2020
Google Scholar:
https://scholar.google.it/citations?user=_Lcqx6QAAAAJ&hl=it&authuser=1
Research Gate: https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fprofile%2FLucon_Xiccato_Tyrone&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHcCDMrmBZgUE_cYcWsbd1CSi9rHg
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Trend in the number of citations and number of papers of the PI in the 10 years of academic activity. Data obtained from Google Scholar. Data retrieved until 2023. |
5.3.2 List of Papers in International Journals
Legend: * corresponding author international co-authors TLX's students
2024 90. Gatto, E.*, Varracchio, C., Bertolucci, C., & LUCON-XICCATO, T. (2024). Puzzle feeder as a cognitive enrichment strategy determines long-term welfare improvements in a teleost fish. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 106401.
89. Rovegno, E.*, LUCON-XICCATO, T., Terrin, F., Dalla Valle, L., & Bertolucci, C. (2024). Knockout in zebrafish reveals the role of the glucocorticoid receptor in shaping behavioral syndromes. Behavioural Brain Research, 473, 115179.
88. Caioni, G., Merola, C., Perugini, M.*, Angelozzi, G., Amorena, M., Benedetti, E., LUCON-XICCATO, T. & Bertolucci, C. (2024). Sodium valproate effects on the morphological and neurobehavioral phenotype of zebrafish. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, 110, 104500.
87. De Russi, G.*, Montalbano, G., Gatto, E., Maggi, E., Cannicci, S., Bertolucci, C. & LUCON-XICCATO, T. (2024). Differential impact of artificial light at night on cognitive flexibility in visual and spatial reversal-learning tasks. Animal Behaviour, in press.
86. Gatto, E., LUCON-XICCATO, T., & Bertolucci, C. (2024). Environmental conditions shape learning in larval zebrafish. Behavioural Processes, 105045.
85. Pintos, S.*, LUCON‐XICCATO, T., Vera, L. M., Conceição, L., Bertolucci, C., Sánchez‐Vázquez, J., & Rema, P. (2024). Social buffering of behavioural stress response in two fish species, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and koi carp (Cyprinus carpio). Ethology, e13464.
84. LUCON-XICCATO, T.*, De Russi, G., Frigato, E., Dadda, M., & Bertolucci, C. (2024). One-trial odour recognition learning and its underlying brain areas in the zebrafish. Behavioural Brain Research, 465, 114949.
83. LUCON-XICCATO, T*. (2024). Inhibitory control in teleost fish: a methodological and conceptual review. Animal Cognition, 27, 1-18.
82. Varracchio, C.*, Gatto, E., Bertolucci, C., & LUCON‐XICCATO, T. (2024). Do captive fish need cognitive enrichment? A test with a puzzle feeder in guppies. Ethology, e13442.
81. LUCON-XICCATO, T.*, Carere, C., & Baracchi, D. (2024). Intraspecific variation in invertebrate cognition: a review. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 78, 1.
80. Merola, C.*, Caioni, G., Bertolucci, C., LUCON-XICCATO, T., Savaşçı, B. B., Tait, S., Casella, M., Camerini, S., Benedetti, E., & Perugini, M. (2024). Embryonic and larval exposure to propylparaben induces developmental and long-term neurotoxicity in zebrafish model. Science of The Total Environment, 912, 168925.
2023 79. Conti, F.*, Zarantoniello, M., Antonucci, M., Cattaneo, N., Rattin, M., De Russi, G., Secci, G., LUCON-XICCATO, T., de Medeiros, A. C. L., & Olivotto, I. (2023). The Application of synthetic flavors in zebrafish (Danio rerio) rearing with emphasis on attractive ones: effects on fish development, welfare, and appetite. Animals, 13, 3368.
78. LUCON-XICCATO, T.*, De Russi, G., Cannicci, S., Maggi, E., Bertolucci, C. (2023). Embryonic exposure to artificial light at night impairs learning abilities and their covariance with behavioural traits in teleost fish. Biology Letters, accepted.
77. Montalbano, G., Bertolucci, C., Bisazza, A., LUCON-XICCATO, T.* (2023) Interspecific differences in developmental mode determine early cognitive abilities in teleost fish. Animal Cognition, accepted.
76. LUCON-XICCATO, T.*, Savaşçı, B. B., Merola, C., Benedetti, E., Caioni, G., Aliko, V., Bertolucci, C., Perugini, M. (2023). Environmentally relevant concentrations of triclocarban affect behaviour, learning, and brain gene expression in fish. Science of The Total Environment, 903, 166717.
75. Dalla Barba, F., Soardi, M., Mouhib, L., Risato, G., Akyürek, E. E., LUCON-XICCATO, T., Scano, M., Benetollo, A., Sacchetto, R., Richard, I., Argenton, F., Bertolucci, C., Carotti, M., Sandonà, D. (2023). Modeling Sarcoglycanopathy in Danio rerio. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24, 12707.
74. LUCON-XICCATO, T.*, Montalbano, G., Bertolucci, C. (2023). Adaptive phenotypic plasticity induces individual variability along a cognitive trade-off. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 290, 20230350.
73. Pintos, S., LUCON-XICCATO, T., Vera, L. M., Bertolucci, C. (2023). Daily rhythms in the behavioural stress response of the zebrafish Danio rerio. Physiology & Behavior, 268, 114241.
72. Mancia, A., Abelli, L., Palladino, G., Candela, M., LUCON-XICCATO, T., Bertolucci, C., Fossi, M. C., Baini, M., Panti, C. (2023). Sorbed environmental contaminants increase the harmful effects of microplastics in adult zebrafish, Danio rerio. Aquatic Toxicology, 259, 106544.
71. Caioni, G., Merola, C., Bertolucci, C., LUCON-XICCATO, T., Savaşçı, B. B., Massimi, M., Colasante, M., Fioravanti, G., Cacciola, N. A., Ippoliti, R., d’Angelo, M., Perugini, M., Benedetti, E. (2023). Early-life exposure to environmentally relevant c oncentrations of triclocarban impairs ocular development in zebrafish larvae. Chemosphere, 324, 138348.
70. LUCON-XICCATO, T.*, Gatto, E., Fontana, C. M., Bisazza, A. (2023). Quantity discrimination in newly hatched zebrafish suggests hardwired numerical abilities. Communications Biology, 6, 247.
69. LUCON-XICCATO, T.*, Tomain, M., D’Aniello, S., Bertolucci, C. (2023). bdnf loss affects activity, sociability, and anxiety-like behaviour in zebrafish. Behavioural Brain Research, 436, 114115.
2022 68. LUCON-XICCATO, T.*, Montalbano, G., Gatto, E., Frigato, E., D’Aniello, S., Bertolucci, C. (2022). Individual differences and knockout in zebrafish reveal similar cognitive effects of BDNF between teleosts and mammals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 10.1098/rspb.2022.2036.
67. LUCON-XICCATO, T.*, Montalbano, G., Frigato, E., Loosli, F., Foulkes, N. S., Bertolucci, C. (2022). Medaka as a model for seasonal plasticity: Photoperiod mediated changes in behaviour, cognition, and hormones. Hormones and Behavior, 145, 105244.
66. LUCON-XICCATO, T.*, Cattelan, S., Griggio, M. (2022). Familiarity effects on fish behaviour are disrupted in shoals that contain also unfamiliar individuals. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 76, 100.
65. LUCON-XICCATO, T., Loosli, F., Conti, F., Foulkes, N. S., Bertolucci, C. (2022). Comparison of anxiety-like and social behaviour in medaka and zebrafish. Scientific Reports, 12, 10926.
64. LUCON-XICCATO, T.* (2022). The contribution of executive functions to sex differences in animal cognition. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 138, 104705.
63. Gatto, E., Dadda, M., Bruzzone, M., Chiarello, E., De Russi, G., Maschio, M. D., Bisazza, A., LUCON‐XICCATO, T. (2022). Environmental enrichment decreases anxiety‐like behavior in zebrafish larvae. Developmental Psychobiology, 64, e22255.
62. Montalbano, G., Bertolucci, C., LUCON-XICCATO, T. (2022). Cognitive phenotypic plasticity: environmental enrichment affects learning but not executive functions in a teleost fish, Poecilia reticulata. Biology, 11, 64.
61. LUCON-XICCATO, T.*, Montalbano, G., Reddon, A. R., Bertolucci, C. (2022). Social environment affects inhibitory control via developmental plasticity in a fish. Animal Behaviour, 183, 69-76.
2021 60. Gatto, E., Bruzzone, M., LUCON-XICCATO, T. (2021). Innate visual discrimination abilities of zebrafish larvae. Behavioural Processes, 193, 104534.
59. Savaşçı, B. B., Lucon-Xiccato, T., Bisazza, A. (2021). Ontogeny and personality affect inhibitory control in guppies, Poecilia reticulata. Animal Behaviour, 180, 111- 121.
58. López-Olmeda, J. F., Zhao, H., Reischl, M., Pylatiuk, C., LUCON-XICCATO, T., Loosli, F., Foulkes, N. S. (2021). Long photoperiod impairs learning in male but not female medaka. IScience, 24, 102784.
57. Merola C., LUCON-XICCATO T., Bertolucci C., Peruginia M. (2021). Behavioural effects of early-life exposure to parabens in zebrafish larvae. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 41, 1852-1862.
56. LUCON-XICCATO T., Bella L., Mainardi L., Baraldi M., Bottarelli M., Sandonà D., Bertolucci C. (2021). An automated low-cost swim tunnel for measuring swimming performance in fish. Zebrafish, 18, 231-234.
55. Mair A., LUCON-XICCATO T., Bisazza, A. (2021). Guppies in the puzzle box: innovative problem-solving by a teleost fish. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 75, 17.
2020 54. LUCON-XICCATO T., Conti F., Loosli F., Foulkes N. S., Bertolucci, C. (2020). Development of Open-Field Behaviour in the Medaka, Oryzias latipes. Biology, 9, 389.
53. Gatto E., Testolin A., Bisazza A., Zorzi M., LUCON-XICCATO T.*. (2020). Poor numerical performance of guppies tested in a Skinner box. Scientific Reports, 10, 16724.
52. Montalbano G., Bertolucci C., LUCON-XICCATO T. (2020). Measures of inhibitory control correlate between different tasks but do not predict problem-solving success in a fish, Poecilia reticulata. Intelligence, 82, 101486. 51. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Montalbano G.,Dadda M., Bertolucci C. (2020). Lateralisation correlates with individual differences in inhibitory control in zebrafish. Biology Letters, 16, 20200296.
50. Zarantoniello M., Randazzo B., Gioacchini G., Truzzi C., Giorgini E., Riolo P., Gioia G., Bertolucci C., Osimani A., Cardinaletti G., LUCON-XICCATO T., Milanović V., Annibaldi A., Tulli F., Notarstefano V., Ruschioni S., Clementi F., Olivotto I. (2020). Zebrafish (Danio rerio) physiological and behavioural responses to insect-based diets: a multidisciplinary approach. Scientific Reports, 10, 10648.
49. Gatto E., LUCON-XICCATO T., Bisazza A., Manabe K., Dadda M. (2020). The devil is in the detail: zebrafish learn to discriminate visual stimuli only if salient. Behavioural Processes, 179, 104215.
48. LUCON‐XICCATO T.*, Bertolucci C. (2020). Inhibitory control in zebrafish, Danio rerio. Journal of Fish Biology, 97, 416-423.
47. Bruzzone M., Gatto E., LUCON-XICCATO T., Dalla Valle L., Fontana C. M., Meneghetti G., Bisazza A. (2020). Measuring recognition memory in zebrafish larvae: issues and limitations. PeerJ, 8, e8890. 46. Santacà M., LUCON-XICCATO T., Agrillo C. (2020) The Delboeuf illusion’s bias in food choice of teleost fishes: an inter-specific study. Animal Behaviour, 164, 105- 112. 45. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Crane A., Ferrari M. C. O., Chivers D. (2020). Exposure to predation risk reduces lateralization in fathead minnows. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, accepted manuscript. 44. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, De Russi G., Bertolucci C. (2020). A novel-odour exploration test for measuring anxiety in adult and larval zebrafish. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 335, 108619. 43. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Bisazza A., Bertolucci C. (2020). Guppies show sex and individual differences in the ability to inhibit behaviour. Animal Cognition, 23, 535-543. 42. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Montalbano G., Bertolucci C. (2020). Personality traits covary with individual differences in inhibitory abilities in 2 species of fish. Current Zoology, 66, 187-195. 41. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Gatto E., Bisazza A. (2020). Male and female guppies differ in problem-solving abilities. Current Zoology, 66, 83-90. 40. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Di Mauro G., Bisazza A., Bertolucci C. (2020). Alarm cue- mediated response and learning in zebrafish larvae. Behavioural Brain Research, 380, 112446. 39. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Dadda M., Bisazza A. (2020). Vegetation cover induces developmental plasticity of lateralisation in tadpoles. Current Zoology, 4, 393-399.
2019 38. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Bisazza A., Pilastro A. (2019). Exploratory behaviour covaries with preference for unfamiliar males in female guppies. Animal Behaviour, 155, 217-224. 37. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Anastasia N., Mazzoldi C., Griggio M. (2019). Familiarity and sex modulate size-dependent following behaviour in the Mediterranean killifish. The Science of Nature, 106, 31. 36. Santacà M., Busatta M., LUCON-XICCATO T., Bisazza, A. (2019). Sensory differences mediate species variation in detour task performance. Animal Behaviour, 155, 153-162. 35. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Bertolucci C. (2019). Guppies show rapid and lasting inhibition of foraging behaviour. Behavioural Processes, 164, 91-99. 34. LUCON‐XICCATO T.* (2019). Tadpoles modulate antipredator responses according to the abundance of vegetation experienced during the embryonic stage. Journal of Zoology, 308, 259-265. 33. LUCON-XICCATO T.* (2019). Chemical alarm cues allow prey to adjust their defensive behaviour to cover abundance. Behavioural Processes, 162, 86-89. 32. Santacà M., Busatta M., Savaşçı B. B., LUCON-XICCATO T., Bisazza A. (2019). The e ffect of experience and olfactory cue in an inhibitory control task in guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Animal Behaviour, 151, 1-7. 31. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Santacà M., Miletto Petrazzini M. E., Agrillo C., Dadda M. (2019). Guppies, Poecilia reticulata, perceive a reversed Delboeuf illusion. Animal Cognition, 22, 291-303. 30. LUCON‐XICCATO T.*, Manabe K., Bisazza A. (2019). Guppies learn faster to discriminate between red and yellow than between two shapes. Ethology, 125, 82- 91. 29. Cattelan S., LUCON-XICCATO T., Pilastro A. Griggio M. (2019). Familiarity mediates equitable social associations in guppies. Behavioral Ecology, 30, 249-255.
2018 28. Gatto E., LUCON-XICCATO T., Bisazza A. (2018). Factors affecting the measure of inhibitory control in a fish (Poecilia reticulata). Behavioural Processes, 157, 11-17. 27. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Ferrari M. C. O., Chivers D. P., Bisazza A. (2018). Odour recognition learning of multiple predators by amphibian larvae. Animal Behaviour, 140, 199-205. 26. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Gatto E., Bisazza A. (2018). Quantity discrimination by treefrogs. Animal Behaviour, 139, 61-69.
2017 25. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Gatto E., Bisazza A. (2017). Fish perform like mammals and birds in inhibitory control tasks. Scientific Reports, 7, 13144. 24. Miletto Petrazzini M.E., Agrillo C., Bisazza A., LUCON XICCATO T. (2017) Sex differences in discrimination reversal learning in the guppy. Animal Cognition, 20, 1081-1091. 23. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Dadda M. (2017). Personality and cognition: sociability negatively predicts shoal size discrimination performance in guppies. Frontiers in Comparative Psychology, 8, 1118. 22. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Griggio M. (2017). Shoal sex composition affects exploration in the Mediterranean killifish. Ethology, 123, 818-824. 21. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Mazzoldi C., Griggio M. (2017). Sex composition modulates the effects of familiarity in new environment. Behavioural Processes, 140, 133-138. 20. Cattelan S., LUCON-XICCATO T., Pilastro A., Griggio M. (2017). Is the mirror test a valid measure of fish sociability? Animal Behaviour, 127, 109-116. 19. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Bisazza A. (2017). Individual differences in cognition among teleost fishes. Behavioural Processes, 141, 184-195. 18. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Bisazza A. (2017). Complex maze learning by fish. Animal Behaviour, 125, 69-75. 17. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Dadda M., Gatto E., Bisazza A. (2017). Development and testing of a rapid method for measuring shoal size discrimination. Animal Cognition, 20, 149-157. 16. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Bisazza A. (2017). Sex differences in spatial abilities and cognitive flexibility in the guppy. Animal Behaviour, 123, 53-60. 15. LUCON XICCATO T.*, Dadda M. (2017). Individual guppies differ in quantity discrimination performance across antipredator and foraging contexts. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 71, 13. 14. Gatto E., LUCON-XICCATO T., Savaşçı B. B., Dadda M., Bisazza A. (2017). Experimental setting affects the performance of guppies in a numerical discrimination task. Animal Cognition, 20, 187-198. 13. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Chivers D. P., Mitchell M. D., Ferrari M. C. O. (2017). Prenatal exposure to predation affects predator recognition learning via lateralization plasticity. Behavioral Ecology, 28, 253-259.
2016 12. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Chivers D. P., Mitchell M. D., Ferrari M. C. O. (2016) Making the dead talk: alarm cue-mediated antipredator behaviour and learning are enhanced when injured conspecifics experience high predation risk. Biology Letters, 12, 20160560. 11. Chivers D. P., Mitchell M. D., LUCON-XICCATO T., Brown G. E., Ferrari M. C. O. (2016). Background risk influences learning but not generalization of predators. Animal Behaviour, 121, 733-744. 10. Mitchell M. D., Ferrari M. C. O., LUCON-XICCATO T., Chivers D. P.(2016). Diet cues alter the development of predator recognition templates in tadpoles. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 70, 1707-1713. 9. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Dadda M. (2016). Guppies show behavioural but not cognitive sex differences in a novel object recognition task. PLoS ONE, 11, e0156589. 8. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Dadda M., Bisazza A. (2016). Sex differences in discrimination of shoal size in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Ethology, 122, 481-491. 7. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Bisazza A. (2016). Male and female guppies differ in speed but not in accuracy in visual discrimination learning. Animal Cognition, 19, 733-744.
2015 6. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Miletto Petrazzini M. E., Agrillo C., Bisazza A. (2015). Guppies discriminate between two quantities of food items but prioritize item size over total amount. Animal Behaviour, 107, 183-191. 5. Miletto Petrazzini M. E., LUCON-XICCATO T., Agrillo C., Bisazza A. (2015). Use of ordinal information by fish. Scientific Reports, 5, 15497.
2014 4. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Nati J. H. J., Blasco F. R., Johansen L. J., Steffensen F. J., Domenici P. (2014). Severe hypoxia impairs lateralization in a marine teleost fish. Journal of Experimental Biology, 217, 4115-4118. 3. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Bisazza A. (2014). Discrimination reversal learning reveals greater female behavioural flexibility in guppies. Biology Letters, 10, 20140206. 2. Bisazza A., Agrillo C., LUCON-XICCATO T.* (2014). Extensive training extends numerical abilities of guppies. Animal Cognition, 17, 1413-1419. 1. LUCON-XICCATO T.*, Dadda M. (2014). Assessing memory in zebrafish using the one-trial test. Behavioural Processes, 106, 1-4.
5.4 Grants
5.4.1 Grants as PI
2024 Italian Biodiversity Centre grant 'BioPo: Fish biodiversity in the lower course of the Po River: a study model of the effects of global changes in large rivers. ' from European Union PNRR (€195.000; co-PI).
2024 FAR grant ‘The impact of stress hormones on fish cognition’ from University of Ferrara (€5.600).
2023 FAR grant ‘A new model for BDNF and neural plasticity’ from University of Ferrara (€9.500).
2022 National Research Partnership grant 'MNESYS: A multiscale integrated approach to the study of the nervous system in health and disease' from European Union PNRR, n. CUP D93C22000930002 (€488.600).
2022 FAR grant ‘Seasonal plasticity of behaviour and cognition in medaka’ from University of Ferrara (€7.800).
2021 FAR grant ‘Testing the social brain hypothesis in cichlid fishes’ from University of Ferrara (€5.200).
2020 FAR grant ‘One-trial recognition memory of olfactory stimuli in zebrafish’ from University of Ferrara (€6.100).
2019 FAR grant ‘The ability to inhibit impulsive behaviour, inhibitory control, in the zebrafish’ from University of Ferrara (€4.700).
2018 FIR grant ‘The response to alarm substances in zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio) as a model for stress research’ from University of Ferrara (€5.000). Project evaluation: excellent; first out of 46 candidates.
2018 FAR grant ‘Inter-specific variability in spatial behaviour of teleost fishes’ from University of Ferrara (€4.600).
2013 Individual AID grant from University of Washington ($2.000).
5.4.2 Grants as Collaborator
2024 PRIN 2022 Some like it hot and lit: the compound effect of light pollution and warming on key costal species' from MIUR (Ministero dell'Istruzione, Università, e Ricerca) total grant: €284.442; UniFE: €92.947).
2023 PRIN 2022 PNRR n. P20222E4CY 'Rock around the clock: how biological invasions alter circadian clocks of native species' from MIUR (Ministero dell'Istruzione, Università, e Ricerca) total grant: €236.835; UniFE: €118.418).
2020 H2020-MSCA-ITN-2-EID-2020 European Training Networks n. 956129 ‘EASYTRAIN - Eco-Innovative Aquaculture System Training for European Industrial Doctorates’ from E.U. (total grant: €1.528.149; UniFE: €261.500).
2019 PNRA Italian Antartic Research Program n. PNRA19_00065-B, MIUR (Ministero dell'Istruzione, Università, e Ricerca) ‘Functional and molecular characterization of the circadian clock in the Antarctic key species Euphausia superba’, (total grant: €124.900; UniFE: €41.100).
2019 MIUR-DAAD Joint Mobility Program n. 15846 ‘Life without the day-night cycle: exploring photoreceptors beyond the eye’ from Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca and German Academic Exchange Service (€4.500).
2016 PRAT n. CPDA153859 ‘Social behaviour and the role of social familiarity in fish’ from University of Padova (€50.000).
2015 PRIN n. 2015SFFATB7-SH4 ‘Optical illusions as a non-invasive tool to study the visual system. Toward the development of animal models’ from Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (€159.000).
2014 DOR (quota ex 60%) n. 60A17-9047/14 ‘Lateralization and numerical abilities’ from University of Padova.
2013 PRAT n. CPDA131092 ‘Fish as model to study lateralization of non-verbal numerical abilities’ from University of Padova (€33.581).
2013 DOR (quota ex 60%) n. 60A17-2133/13 ‘Cognitive individual differences in non-human species’ from University of Padova.
2009 PRIN n. 2009WZXKK7T ‘Numerical competences in animals’ from Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (€76.603).
5.5 Current Collaborations
Prof. Javier Sánchez-Vázquez, Dept. of Physiology. university of Murcia, Spain.
Prof. Luisa María Vera, Dept. of Physiology. university of Murcia, Spain.
Prof. Douglas P. Chivers, Dept. of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Prof. Maud C.O. Ferrari, Dept. of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Prof. Adam Reddon, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, UK.
Prof. Gil Rosenthal, Dept. of Biology, University of Padova.
Prof. Nicholas Foulkes, Heidelberg University, Germany.
Prof. Felix Loosli, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.
Prof. Andrea Pilastro, Dept. of Biology, University of Padova, Italy.
Prof. Angelo Bisazza, Dept. of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy.
Prof. Cristiano Bertolucci, Dept. of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Italy.
Dr. Paolo Domenici, National Research Concilium, Italy.
Prof. Marco Dadda, Dept. of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy.
Dr. Salvatore D’Aniello, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Italy
Prof. Luisa Dalla Valle, Dept. of Biology, University of Padova, Italy.
Prof. Annalaura Mancia, Dept. of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara.
Prof. Ike Olivotto, Dipt. di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy.
Prof. Monia Perugini, Faculty of Bioscience and Agro-Food and Environmental Technology
University of Teramo, Italy.
Prof. Giuseppe Calstaldelli, Dept. of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara.
5.6 Conferences
5.6.1 Chair
1 – 4 Sep 2019 8th Congress of Italian Society of Evolutionary Biology, Padova, Italy: symposium ‘Social behaviour: ecology and evolution’.
5.6.2 Talks
28 Jul – 02 Aug 2024 15th International Congress of Neuroethology, Berlin, Germany: ' Exploiting gene expression analysis and knockout to unravel the basis of cognitive individualities in fish '
9 – 11 Nov 2023 X Conference and XV Symposium of Psychobiology, Brazil: invited speaker 'Understanding the biological basis of cognitive individual differences in fish models'.
18 – 22 Sep 2019 XXVIII Conference of Italian Society of Ethology, Firenze, Italy: ‘Cognitive flexibility in male and female guppies’.
18 – 22 Sep 2017 Second Joint Meeting of Société Zoologique de France and Unione Zoologica Italiana, Torino, Italy: ‘Individual differences in exploratory behaviour predict novel male preference in female guppies (Poecilia reticulata, Peters, 1859)’.
18 – 21 June 2017 XXVII Conference of Italian Society of Ethology, Calci, Italy: ‘Chemical alarm cues mediate antipredator behaviour and learning in zebrafish larvae’.
2 – 3 Feb 2017 1° Zebrafish Italian Meeting, Padova, Italy: ‘New paradigms for studying learning and memory in zebrafish’.
12 – 15 Jul 2016 European Conference on Behavioural Biology, Wien, Austria: ‘Cognitive sex differences in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata’.
25 – 26 Feb 2016 4° Behavioural Ecology Meeting, Chioggia, Italy: ‘Lateralisation and predator recognition in Lithobates slyvaticus tadpoles’.
12 – 13 Feb 2015 3° Behavioural Ecology Meeting, Chioggia, Italy: ‘Individual differences in quantity discrimination by Poecilia reticulata’.
2 – 5 Sep 2014 Conference of Poeciliid Biologist, Exeter, England: ‘Sex differences in cognitive abilities in guppies’.
12 – 13 Dec 2013 2° Behavioural Ecology Meeting, Chioggia, Italy: ‘Sex differences in cognitive flexibility in guppies’.
5.6.3 Posters
7 – 9 Feb 2024 Italian Zebrafish Meeting, Italy: 'Gr loss impairs zebrafish learning and cognitive flexibility'.
7 – 9 Feb 2024 Italian Zebrafish Meeting, Italy: 'Knockout in zebrafish reveals the role of the glucocorticoid receptor in shaping behavioral syndromes'.
7 – 9 Feb 2024 Italian Zebrafish Meeting, Italy: 'The time of the day matters: daily rhythms in anxiety-like behaviours of the zebrafish Danio rerio'.
8 – 9 Dec 2022 ASAB winter, Edinburg, UK: 'Cognitive abilities of migrating European eels'.
8 – 9 Sept 2022 5th International Student Course in Behavioural Biology, Paris, France: 'Recognition memory for olfactory stimuli in Danio rerio'.
8 – 9 Sept 2022 European Student Conference on Behaviour and Cognition 2022, Rovereto, Italy: 'Recognition memory for olfactory stimuli in Danio rerio'.
4 – 7 Sept 2022 Conference of the Italian Society of Evolutionary Biology, Ancona, Italy: 'Do captive fish need cognitive enrichment? A study with a foraging problem-solving task'
9 – 9 Apr 2021 Behavioural Ecology Meeting, Chioggia, Italy: 'Recognition memory in zebrafish using olfactory stimuli'
28 Oct 2017 9th Conference of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, Paris, France: ‘A Low-Cost Video Tracking System for Operant Conditioning of Small Fish Using Raspberry Pi’.
30 Jul – 4 Aug 2017 Behaviour 2017, Estoril, Portugal: ‘Tree frogs discriminate between quantities of potential refuges’.
18 – 21 Jun 2017 XXVII Conference of Italian Society of Ethology, Calci, Italy: ‘Do ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) and guppies (Poecilia reticulata) perceive the Delboeuf illusion?’.
12 – 15 Jul 2016 European Conference on Behavioural Biology, Wien, Austria: ‘Does method matter in fish cognition? Evidence from studies on numerical abilities’.
17 – 20 Jul 2014 European Conference on Behavioural Biology, Prague, Czech Republic: ‘Sex differences in reversal learning in guppies’.
5.6.4 Talks as Co-author
8 – 11 Sep 2024 Conference of the Italian Society of Evolutionary Biology, Napoli, Italy: 'Swimmers or climbers? Eels' individual migratory strategies are explained by complex syndromes'
4 – 6 Sep 2024 XXX Conference of Italian Society of Ethology, Torino, Italy: 'The effects of microplastic ingestion on fish cognition'.
7 – 9 Feb 2024 Italian Zebrafish Meeting, Palermo, Italy: 'Zebrafish as a model for biodiversity threats: impacts of light pollution on behaviour and cognition'.
7 – 9 Feb 2024 Italian Zebrafish Meeting, Palermo, Italy: 'Neural plasticity genes’ expression and knockout zebrafish reveal the basis of individual differences in cognition'.
14 – 20 Aug 2023 Behaviour, Bielefeld, Germany: 'Covariation of cognition with behavioural, metabolic, and life-history traits in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla)'.
9 – 12 Feb 2023 Behavioural Ecology Meeting, Chioggia, Italy: 'Cognitive abilities of migrating European eels'.
9 – 12 Feb 2023 Behavioural Ecology Meeting, Chioggia, Italy: ‘Do captive fish need cognitive enrichment? A study with a foraging problem – solving task'
12 – 14 Sep 2022 XXIX Conference of Italian Society of Ethology, Padova, Italy: 'Environmental enrichment determines developmental plasticity of behaviour and cognition in zebrafish larvae'.
18 – 22 Sep 2019 XXVIII Conference of Italian Society of Ethology, Firenze, Italy: ‘Inhibitory control abilities in teleost fish’.
4 – 7 Sept 2022 Conference of the Italian Society of Evolutionary Biology, Ancona, Italy: 'Cognitive plasticity in fish'
9 – 12 Aug 2018 European Conference on Behavioural Biology, Liverpool, U.K.: 'Do animals see the Delboeuf illusion differently? A large-scale comparative assessment'.
23 – 24 Feb 2018 Cognitive Science Arena 2018, Brixen, Italy: ‘Treefrogs discriminate number and size of potential refuges’.
30 Jul – 4 Aug 2017 Behaviour 2017, Estoril, Portugal: ‘Familiarization leads to equitable and differentiated social relationships in the guppy’.
25 – 26 Feb 2016 4° Behavioural Ecology Meeting, Chioggia, Italy: ‘Use of ordinal numerical information in Poecilia reticulata’.
5.7 Membership of Research Associations
2023-now AIIAD, Italian Association Freshwater Ichthyologists
2020-now SIE, Italian Society of Ethology
2019-now ASAB, Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
2019-now FSBI, Fisheries Society of the British Isles
2019-now SIBE, Italian Society of Evolutionary Biology
6. DIDACTIC
6.1 Teaching
2022-now ‘Evolutionary Biology’, M.Sc. in Molecular Biology, Genomics, and Biodiversity, University of Ferrara (2 ETCS - 16 h; ~80 students).
2022-now ‘Animal Biology’, Bachelor’s in Aquaculture Biotechnology, University of Ferrara (6 ETCS - 36 h; ~20 students).
2018-now ‘Zoology’, Bachelor’s in Biotechnology, University of Ferrara (6 ETCS - 50 h: 40 h lecture + 10 h lab activity; ~100 students).
2018-2022 ‘Applied Ethology’ M.Sc. in Environmental Biotechnology, University of Ferrara (6 ETCS - 48 h; ~20 students).
2017 ‘Psychobiology’ Bachelor’s in Cognitive and Psychobiological Sciences (20 h; ~100 students).
2016 ‘Animal Psychology’, Bachelor’s in Psychological Sciences (10 h; language: English; ~20 students).
6.2 Supervising and Mentoring
Ph.D. Students Supervisor 4
Ph.D. Students Co-supervisor 3
M.Sc. Students Supervisor and co-supervisor >30
Bachelor’s Students Supervisor and co-supervisor >100
7. SERVICE
7.1 Editor
2024 - now Behavioral Ecology
Past editor positions: Frontiers in Fish Science; Animals
7.2 Peer Review
2013-2024 Peer-reviewer of >150 manuscripts for the following international journals: Proceedings of the Royal Society B Scientific Reports Animal Behaviour Animal Cognition Behavioral Processes Behaviour Journal of Comparative Neurology Journal of Fish Biology Royal Society Interface Evolutionary Ecology Research PLoS One Ethology Ecology & Evolution Current Zoology Journal of Ethology Royal Society Open Science PeerJ Environmental Biology of Fishes Learning & Behaviour
Aquaculture Journal of Zoology
Psychology & Neuroscience Neuroscience
Learning & Behaviour Current Zoology
Environmental Biology of Fishes
7.3 Ph.D Programs
2022 – now Ph.D. School Council member, Program in Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara.
2018-2024 Ph.D. School Council member, Program in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology at University of Ferrara, University of Parma and University of Firenze, Italy.
2020 Member of the jury of Ph.D. Course in Biosciences, curriculum Evolution, Ecology and Conservation (cycle XXXII)
2019-2021 Evaluator of a Ph.D. student at School in Evolutionary Biology at University of Padova.
2019 Evaluation of thesis, Ph.D. program in Biomedical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia.
8. THIRD MISSION
01 Feb 2024 UTEF, University of the Third Age, Ferrara, Italy, Seminar ‘The 3-second memory of a fish can help us remember better?’.
29 Sep 2023 European Researchers' Night, Ferrara, Italy, ‘Fish cognition’.
6 Mar 2020 Darwin Day, Parma, Italy, Seminar ‘Fish cognition: can a 3-seconds memory reveal the evolutionary roots of ‘intelligence’?’.
21 Jun 2019 Highschool students stage.
22 Mar 2019 UTEF, University of the Third Age, Ferrara, Italy, Seminar ‘Ethology and animal welfare’.
22 Jun 2019 Highschool students stage.
2010-now Consultant for associations and governance to development of conservation measures for aquatic ecosystems.
Ferrara, 02/10/2024
