Home (English)
Our research focuses on the behaviors, ecology, and functional morphology of various animals, including fishes, crustaceans, penguins, insects, and frogs, in the context of predator-prey interactions. We are open to collaborating with researchers and students from diverse fields, such as mathematics, physics, and informatics. Anyone who is interested in studying with us is welcome to send an email to yuuki-k(at)nagasaki-u.ac.jp. Students, particularly those from ASEAN countries, can apply for the MEXT scholarship, which can cover the expenses of Ph.D. studies.
Below are some of our current research topics:
Observations and theoretical explanations of prey escape and predator pursuit behaviors
The antipredator strategy of juveniles eels
Evolution of unique and innovative behaviors in crabs and eels
See Researchmap for recent publications：https://researchmap.jp/KawabataYuuki/published_papers?lang=en
What's new:
2023.2.15 A new paper was published in eLife. Title: Multiple preferred escape trajectories are explained by a geometric model incorporating prey’s turn and predator attack endpoint. It was featured in the eLife digest
2021.12.18 A new paper was published in Ecology. Title: Escaping via the predator's gill: A defensive tactic of juvenile eels after capture by predatory fish. It was featured in New Scientist, Asahi news paper (with a nice video!), JST, University Journal,
2019.7.15 Correction in the Kimura & Kawabata (2018). If you read the paper before, please make sure to read this correction because it's a big change. PDF
2018.6.18 A new paper was published in Biology Open. Title: Effect of initial body orientation on escape probability of prey fish escaping from predators. PDF
2018.2.3 A new paper was published in The Journal of Experimental Biology. Title: A miniaturized threshold-triggered acceleration data-logger for recording burst movements of aquatic animals. PDF
2017.6.17 A new paper was published in Marine Ecology Progress Series. Title: Continuous behavioral observation reveals the function of drifting seaweeds for Seriola spp. juveniles.
2015.11.17 A new paper was accepted in Fisheries Science. Title: Pelvic fin removal modifies escape trajectory in a teleost fish.
2015.10.01 I moved to the Graduate School Fisheries and Environmental Sciences as an associate professor. Please note that my affiliation, address, and phone # have changed.
2015.06.01 A new paper was accepted in Marine Ecology Progress Series. Title: Duration of migration and reproduction in males is dependent on energy reserve in a fish forming spawning aggregations. PDF (There is an erratum in Fig. 3, see PDF)
2014.07.15 A new paper was accepted in Journal of Fish Biology. Title: The effect of spine postures on the hydrodynamic drag in Epinephelus ongus larvae.
2014.06.19 A new paper was accepted in The Journal of Experimental Biology. Title: Use of a gyroscope/accelerometer data logger to identify alternative feeding behaviours in fish.
2013.12.11 The co-authored paper with Dr. Atsushi Nanami, Fisheries Research Agency, was published in Marine Biology. The spawning migration pattern of Epinephelus ongus was investigated using telemetry.
2013.12.xx Co-authored papers with Dr. Takuji Noda, Kyoto University were published in Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology and Plos One. These papers are about the in situ measurement of the fast-start behaviors of fish using gyroscope/accelerometer/magnetmeter.
2013.7.23-24 We held a young scientist symposium. abstract book
2012.5.21-25 We attached GPS buoy and camera on the drifting seaweeds rafts.
2012.5.11-15 We joined the research on the spawning aggregation of the white-streaked grouper.
2012.4.18-22 We conducted the research on the drifting seaweed rafts and associated fish fauna. Photos
2012.4.6-16 We released acoustically tagged white-streaked groupers around Yaeyama Island.
2012.4.1. Two bachelor students joined the lab.