Aneesh Bose

I received my B.Sc. in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of Guelph, Canada, in 2012 followed by my Ph.D. from McMaster University, Canada, in 2017 where I worked with Dr. Sigal Balshine in the Aquatic Behavioural Ecology Lab (https://abel.mcmaster.ca/). My graduate research focused on parental care and alternative mating tactics in the plainfin midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus, a toadfish found in the intertidal zones of the Pacific Northwest of North America. I then moved to Graz, Austria for a postdoc with Dr. Kristina Sefc (https://homepage.uni-graz.at/en/kristina.sefc/) followed by another postdoc at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour with Dr. Alex Jordan in Konstanz, Germany (https://thejordanlab.com/). My postdoctoral research has focused on mating systems and reproductive behaviours in cichlid fishes of Lake Tanganyika. I now have an independent research program as part of the aquatic ecology working group in the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Umeå.

Ecology and evolution of animal behavioural strategies

I am a behavioural ecologist studying animal reproductive and social strategies. My work aims to understand how ecological and social conditions shape the evolution and expression of animal behaviour, particularly in reproductive contexts. I use a variety of aquatic organisms in my research though much of my work focuses on shell-dwelling Lamprologine cichlids from Lake Tanganyika, East Africa. Just as animals are adapted to live in different habitats, so too are they adapted to live in different social environments, and this has generated a staggering diversity of reproductive strategies.

I use a combination of fieldwork, scientific SCUBA diving, and controlled laboratory studies to understand how animals compete and cooperate to achieve reproduction. Some of the research topics I work on include the evolution of social complexity, how group-living animals manage within-group competition, the expression of alternative reproductive tactics, parental investment, and the evolutionary implications of parentage loss. I also study how anthropogenic changes impact animal behaviour and evolution.

Visit my webpage for a more detailed overview of my research.

https://aneeshbose.com/

I teach a variety of subjects including animal behaviour, evolution, and invasive species biology at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

I’m always looking for new students to join my group. To me, the most important thing is that you are excited about your research! I therefore work with students to tailor thesis projects to their interests. I have many ideas for projects, which may not always be advertised here or on the VFM webpage. Please reach out to me if you are interested in discussing opportunities. 

Open project opportunities:

(MSc thesis) How animals care for their offspring under anthropogenic stress -

Systematic literature review to study how animal parents change their parental care behaviours (adaptively or maladaptively) in anthropogenically impacted environments. 30 or 60 credits.

(MSc thesis) Microplastics in fishes from Lake Tanganyika, Zambia -

Lab project to quantify and identify microplastics in fishes from Lake Tanganyika. Focusing on "kapenta" species, which are of critical local importance in one of the worlds most biodiverse freshwater resources. 60 credits.