Former student Haylee Quertermous spoke to Biology students about her experience & research at the University of Alabama. Haylee's research involved mangrove rivulus fish, a sex-changing fish. Haylee will pursue her PhD at the University of Otago in New Zealand.

The mangrove rivulus fish is the weirdest fish you will ever meet.

Great couple of weeks doing fieldwork in Tauranga with the #sexyfish team Haylee Quertermous Chloe van der Burg Neil Gemmell - Outdoors neuroscience, how good!

Less than a week of being in Aotearoa and straight into field work I went! It was great to finally meet and work with the #sexyfish team in person, as well as my study species, the New Zealand spotty wrasse (Notolabrus celidotus)! Kaj Kamstra Chloe van der Burg Neil Gemmell

Testing out an underwater drone to use for behavior observations in the field! Not quite as cool as swimming with the fishes, but still pretty awesome!

My first time diving in Aotearoa at Aramoana! Absolutely amazing!

When they have to take your blood pressure again because it was too high after you got excited talking about the fish you are studying

Another day hard at work

A little late ... but on Friday I successfully defended my dissertation. The past five years have been a rollercoaster, but I am excited to continue investigating how organisms respond to environmental change! Let’s answer some big questions with some big genomes!

Time for something a little different at VSD Hawaii. Kaj Kamstra talking on the neuroanatomy of socially controlled sex changing fish. This process starts in the brain, oftengiven by a visual cue, leading to complete sex reversal. So cool - but I am very biased.

More on the weird and wonderful world of sex changing fish VSD Hawaii from Haylee Quertermous this time asking the question how do female fish know they are the dominant one that should change sex when the dominant male is removed.

I had a great time attending and presenting an my first in-person conference! Such amazing people and science! VSD Hawaii

Awesome time in Hawaii with Haylee Quertermous and Neil Gemmell. Thank you VSD Hawaii for a great meeting and really appreciate the travel award. Hoping to be back in 2026!

Having camera curious fish when trying to take behavior videos is not ideal, but I can’t even be mad when they do this.

My first publication and the beginning of some very exciting work with spotty wrasse!

Starts tomorrow. NZ Fish of the Year. Stand by for utterly biased campaigning for a common, clever little fish that just happens to change sex…. It deserves your vote. Haylee Quertermous Kaj Kamstra Chloe van der Burg Culum Brown 🇺🇦 📎ChristineJasoni emr.org.nz/education/even…

I returned down to the trenches of Twitter to support this fish! Go vote for spotty!

Don’t get spotted. Vote Spotty for Fish of the Year. Details below youtu.be/DmZZC75CNq4?si…

Congrats Neil Gemmell, Haylee Quertermous, and the rest of the Uni Otago "Sexy Fish Team" on the huge win! Spotty = Fish of the Year 2024