I am basically interested on cooperative behaviour, using for that,
the cleaning interactions among fish as my main mutualistic model.
My research on the cleaning mutualism had, so far, a relatively
broad scope, ranging from a "simple" behaviour approach to a
more integrative point of view, such as the application of game
theory concepts (particularly the Biological Markets Theory) or,
presently on a more physiological/functional fashion. 

The Caribbean cleaning gobies Elacatinus spp

The Caribbean cleaning mutualism was the model I started with
during my PhD studies. The idea was to attempt to apply market
concepts to the Caribbean cleaning gobies and to determine whether
the biological market model is a suitable framework to understand
all cleaning mutualisms. While bearing some similarities to the
Labroides dimidiatus system, the cleaning goby mutualism revealed
striking differences: clients did not seem to use their potential for
access to multiple cleaners to promote honesty in cleaning gobies.
Clients of cleaning gobies do not respond to cleaner cheating by
switching or punishing cleaners. Tactile stimulation is never performed
by gobies on their clients. Also, there are now reasons to believe that
these cleaners mainly prefer to eat their clients' parasites (thus having
a tendency towards honesty). In view of the absence of several
important features of biological markets, the cleaning goby system was
not considered to be a case of a market. I am presently interested in
continuing my studies on these cleaners, only this time using a more
cognitive (and comparative) and physiological/functional approach.

The Indo-Pacific bluestreak cleaner wrasse,
Labroides dimidiatus

My studies on this particular cleaning model started also during
my PhD, but only briefly. Contrarily to the cleaning gobies,
interactions between these cleaners and their real clients have
been the target of several studies that have contributed to a
generalized knowledge of the functional aspects of these cleaner
fish behaviour. However, many open questions remain, being the
most important about the complex underlying physiological
mechanisms of cleaners and of their customers' decision making,
to which little or nothing has yet been addressed. Can fish social
behaviour be restricted to interactions within-species or can cleaners'
interspecific behaviour be modulated in a similar fashion? Is cleaning
a social or foraging behaviour? Is it governed by the same hormones
as intraspecific social behaviour? And how does it affect clients?

Presently, my main goal is to link the functional aspects of these
cleaners decision making to its mechanisms, through the experimental
manipulation of neuroendocrine systems in cleaners and, by further
testing on how this manipulation influences their behaviour both during
learning experiments and their interactions with real clients. I will also
try to measure the physiological effects of tactile stimulation on clients
of cleaner fishes.