Dr Adam Reddon
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Science
Email: A.R.Reddon@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 231 2034
Webpage
Google Scholar
ORCID
I am interested in the behavioural biology of social living. I have a particular fascination with aggression, dominance, and sociality. I seek to better understand social behaviour through the integration of functional, developmental, and mechanistic approaches. I primarily work with fishes in my research, in particular the remarkably social, cooperatively breeding cichlids of Lake Tanganyika.
Areas of expertise:
• Agonism, dominance, and contest behaviour
• Cooperative breeding, sociality, and group living
• Communication and signalling
• Neuroendocrine mechanisms of social behaviour
• Brain evolution and plasticity
• Fish cognition and behaviour
Degrees
University of Alberta, Canada, BSc Honors
Univeristy of Alberta, Canada, MSc
McMaster University, Canada, PhD
Academic appointments
Senior Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University, 2017 - present
Postgraduate training
Banting Fellow, Canada, McGill University, 2015 - 2017
NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow, Canada, McGill University, 2013 - 2015
Journal article
Ruberto T, Swaney WT, Reddon AR. 2025. Dominance and aggressiveness are associated with vasotocin neuron numbers in a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish Hormones and Behavior, 168 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Swaney WT, Ellwood C, Davis JP, Reddon AR. 2024. Familiarity preferences in zebrafish (Danio rerio) depend on shoal proximity Journal of Fish Biology, :1-7 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Reddon AR, Richardson C, Jose A, Frommen JG, Swaney WT. 2024. Social fish use different submission signals depending on spatial position Behaviour, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Hirons-Major C, Ruberto T, Swaney WT, Reddon AR. 2024. Submissive behaviour is affected by group size in a social fish Royal Society Open Science, 11 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Ruberto T, Swaney WT, Reddon AR. 2024. Submissive behavior is affected by territory structure in a social fish Jia Z-Y, Huang Z-S. Current Zoology, 70 :1-7 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Norfolk M, Bielby J, Figueiredo Passos L, Reddon AR, Rendle M. 2024. Nutraceutical supplementation increases mobility in aged captive non-domesticated felids Veterinary Record, :e3797 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Felici M, Reddon AR, Maglieri V, Lanatà A, Baragli P. 2023. Heart and brain: Change in cardiac entropy is related to lateralised visual inspection in horses Rogers LJ. PLoS One, 18 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Reddon AR, Swaney WT. 2023. Fellowship of the fin: Fish empathy and oxytocin Learning & Behavior, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Manara V, Ruberto T, Swaney WT, Reddon AR. 2022. Subordinate submissive responses are predicted by dominant behaviour in a cooperatively breeding fish Behaviour, :1-18 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Lucon-Xiccato T, Montalbano G, Reddon AR, Bertolucci C. 2021. Social environment affects inhibitory control via developmental plasticity in a fish Animal Behaviour, 183 :69-76 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Reddon AR, Aubin-Horth N, Reader SM. 2021. Wild guppies from populations exposed to higher predation risk exhibit greater vasotocin brain gene expression Journal of Zoology, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Reddon AR. 2021. FE Spotlight: The right fish for the job: Local ecology affects morphology in a cooperative breeder Functional Ecology, 35 :2136-2137 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Reddon AR, Ruberto T, Reader SM. 2021. Submission signals in animal groups Behaviour, 159 :1-20 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Baragli P, Scopa C, Felici M, Reddon AR. 2021. Horses show individual level lateralisation when inspecting an unfamiliar and unexpected stimulus PLoS One, 16 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Ruberto T, Talbot JL, Reddon AR. 2020. Head up displays are a submission signal in the group-living daffodil cichlid Behavioural Processes, 181 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Reddon AR, Dey CJ, Balshine S. 2019. Submissive behaviour is mediated by sex, social status, relative body size and shelter availability in a social fish Animal Behaviour, 155 :131-139 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Reddon AR, Chouinard-Thuly L, Leris I, Reader SM. 2018. Wild and laboratory exposure to cues of predation risk increases relative brain mass in male guppies Functional Ecology, 32 :1847-1856 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Chouinard-Thuly L, Reddon AR, Leris I, Earley RL, Reader SM. 2018. Developmental plasticity of the stress response in female but not in male guppies Royal Society Open Science, 5 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Baragli P, Vitale V, Sighieri C, Lanata A, Palagi E, Reddon AR. 2017. Consistency and flexibility in solving spatial tasks: different horses show different cognitive styles Scientific Reports, 7 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Balshine S, Wong MYL, Reddon AR. 2017. Social motivation and conflict resolution tactics as potential building blocks of sociality in cichlid fishes Behavioural Processes, 141 :152-160 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Reddon AR, O'Connor CM, Nesjan E, Cameron J, Hellmann JK, Ligocki IY, Marsh-Rollo SE, Hamilton IM, Wylie DR, Hurd PL, Balshine S. 2017. Isotocin neuronal phenotypes differ among social systems in cichlid fishes Royal Society Open Science, 4 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Hellmann JK, Sovic MG, Gibbs HL, Reddon AR, O'Connor CM, Ligocki IY, Marsh-Rollo S, Balshine S, Hamilton IM. 2016. Within-group relatedness is correlated with colony-level social structure and reproductive sharing in a social fish Molecular Ecology, 25 :4001-4013 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Reddon AR, O'Connor CM, Ligocki IY, Hellmann JK, Marsh-Rollo SE, Hamilton IM, Balshine S. 2016. No evidence for larger brains in cooperatively breeding cichlid fishes CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, 94 :373-378 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Hellmann JK, Ligocki IY, O'Connor CM, Reddon AR, Farmer TM, Marsh-Rollo SE, Balshine S, Hamilton IM. 2016. The influence of status and the social environment on energy stores in a social fish JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, 88 :1321-1334 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
O'Connor CM, Reddon AR, Odetunde A, Jindal S, Balshine S. 2015. Social cichlid fish change behaviour in response to a visual predator stimulus, but not the odour of damaged conspecifics BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES, 121 :21-29 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Dargent F, Reddon AR, Swaney WT, Fussman GF, Reader SM, Scott ME, Forbes MR. 2015. Demasculinization of male guppies increases resistance to a common and harmful ectoparasite Parasitology, :1-9 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
O'Connor CM, Reddon AR, Ligocki IY, Hellmann JK, Garvy KA, Marsh-Rollo SE, Hamilton IM, Balshine S. 2015. Motivation but not body size influences territorial contest dynamics in a wild cichlid fish ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 107 :19-29 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Hellmann JK, Ligocki IY, O'Connor CM, Reddon AR, Garvy KA, Marsh-Rollo SE, Gibbs HL, Balshine S, Hamilton IM. 2015. Reproductive sharing in relation to group and colony-level attributes in a cooperative breeding fish PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 282 DOI Author Url
Hellmann JK, Reddon AR, Ligocki IY, O'Connor CM, Garvy KA, Marsh-Rollo SE, Hamilton IM, Balshine S. 2015. Group response to social perturbation: impacts of isotocin and the social landscape ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 105 :55-62 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Hellmann JK, O'Connor CM, Ligocki IY, Farmer TM, Arnold TJ, Reddon AR, Garvy KA, Marsh-Rollo SE, Balshine S, Hamilton IM. 2015. Evidence for alternative male morphs in a Tanganyikan cichlid fish JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, 296 :116-123 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Garvy KA, Hellmann JK, Ligocki IY, Reddon AR, Marsh-Rollo SE, Hamilton IM, Balshine S, O'Connor CM. 2015. Sex and social status affect territorial defence in a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, Neolamprologus savoryi HYDROBIOLOGIA, 748 :75-85 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Dey CJ, Tan QYJ, O'Connor CM, Reddon AR, Caldwell JR, Balshine S. 2015. Dominance network structure across reproductive contexts in the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher CURRENT ZOOLOGY, 61 :45-54 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR, O'Connor CM, Marsh-Rollo SE, Balshine S, Gozdowska M, Kulczykowska E. 2015. Brain nonapeptide levels are related to social status and affiliative behaviour in a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE, 2 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Ligocki IY, Reddon AR, Hellmann JK, O'Connor CM, Marsh-Rollo S, Balshine S, Hamilton IM. 2015. Social status influences responses to unfamiliar conspecifics in a cooperatively breeding fish BEHAVIOUR, 152 :1822-1840 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
O'Connor CM, Reddon AR, Marsh-Rollo SE, Hellmann JK, Ligocki IY, Hamilton IM, Balshine S. 2014. A comparative study of an innate immune response in Lamprologine cichlid fishes NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN, 101 :839-849 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR, Voisin MR, O'Connor CM, Balshine S. 2014. Isotocin and sociality in the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, Neolamprologus pulcher BEHAVIOUR, 151 :1389-1411 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Hick K, Reddon AR, O'Connor CM, Balshine S. 2014. Strategic and tactical fighting decisions in cichlid fishes with divergent social systems BEHAVIOUR, 151 :47-71 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR, Hurd PL. 2013. Water pH during early development influences sex ratio and male morph in a West African cichlid fish, Pelvicachromis pulcher ZOOLOGY, 116 :139-143 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Dey CJ, Reddon AR, O'Connor CM, Balshine S. 2013. Network structure is related to social conflict in a cooperatively breeding fish ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 85 :395-402 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR, Balk D, Balshine S. 2013. Probing aggressive motivation during territorial contests in a group-living cichlid fish BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES, 92 :47-51 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR, O'Connor CM, Marsh-Rollo SE, Balshine S. 2012. Effects of isotocin on social responses in a cooperatively breeding fish ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 84 :753-760 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR. 2012. Parental effects on animal personality BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY, 23 :242-245 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Groen M, Sopinka NM, Marentette JR, Reddon AR, Brownscombe JW, Fox MG, Marsh-Rollo SE, Balshine S. 2012. Is there a role for aggression in round goby invasion fronts? BEHAVIOUR, 149 :685-703 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Moscicki MK, Reddon AR, Hurd PL. 2011. Lateralized behaviour of a non-social cichlid fish (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) in a social and a non-social environment BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES, 88 :27-32 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Gutierrez-Ibanez C, Reddon AR, Kreuzer MB, Wylie DR, Hurd PL. 2011. Variation in asymmetry of the habenular nucleus correlates with behavioural asymmetry in a cichlid fish BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH, 221 :189-196 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR, Balk D, Balshine S. 2011. Sex differences in group-joining decisions in social fish ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 82 :229-234 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR, Voisin MR, Menon N, Marsh-Rollo SE, Wong MYL, Balshine S. 2011. Rules of engagement for resource contests in a social fish ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 82 :93-99 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Baragli P, Vitale V, Paoletti E, Sighieri C, Reddon AR. 2011. Detour behaviour in horses (Equus caballus) JOURNAL OF ETHOLOGY, 29 :227-234 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Guillette LM, Reddon AR, Hoeschele M, Sturdy CB. 2011. Sometimes slower is better: slow-exploring birds are more sensitive to changes in a vocal discrimination task PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 278 :767-773 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Dinsdale NL, Reddon AR, Hurd PL. 2011. Sex differences in the relationship between aggressiveness and the strength of handedness in humans LATERALITY, 16 :385-400 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR, Balshine S. 2010. Lateralization in response to social stimuli in a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES, 85 :68-71 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Guillette LM, Reddon AR, Hurd PL, Sturdy CB. 2009. Exploration of a novel space is associated with individual differences in learning speed in black-capped chickadees, Poecile atricapillus BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES, 82 :265-270 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR, Hurd PL. 2009. Sex differences in the cerebral lateralization of a cichlid fish when detouring to view emotionally conditioned stimuli BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES, 82 :25-29 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR, Gutierrez-Ibanez C, Wylie DR, Hurd PL. 2009. The relationship between growth, brain asymmetry and behavioural lateralization in a cichlid fish BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH, 201 :223-228 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR, Hurd PL. 2009. Acting unilaterally: Why do animals with strongly lateralized brains behave differently than those with weakly lateralized brains? Bioscience Hypotheses, 2 :383-387 DOI Publisher Url
Reddon AR, Hurd PL. 2009. Differences in aggressive behavior between convict cichlid color morphs: amelanistic convicts lose even with a size advantage ACTA ETHOLOGICA, 12 :49-53 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR, Hurd PL. 2009. Individual differences in cerebral lateralization are associated with shy-bold variation in the convict cichlid ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 77 :189-193 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Reddon AR, Hurd PL. 2008. Aggression, sex and individual differences in cerebral lateralization in a cichlid fish BIOLOGY LETTERS, 4 :338-340 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Guillette LM, Bailey AA, Reddon AR, Hurd PL, Sturdy CB. A Brief Report: Capture Order is Repeatable in Chickadees International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 23 DOI Publisher Url
Dataset
Bielby J. 2024. Nutraceutical supplementation increases mobility in aged captive non-domesticated felids.
Research Grants Awarded:
Wildlife Animal Initiative, How does human-induced environmental change impair welfare of cichlid fish?, Joachim Frommen, Manchester Metropolitan University; William Swaney, LJMU, Grant value (£): 23,000. 2024
The Royal Society, Investigating the neurobiological basis of cooperation in a socially complex cichlid fish, Grant value (£): 19626. 2019
Editorial boards:
Royal Society Open Science, Associate Editor, https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsos. 2021
Journal of Zoology, Associate Editor. 2021
Behaviour, Associate Editor. 2020
Media Coverage:
Appeared on BBC Radio 4 Today Program and BBC World News Television to discuss: Reddon, A. R., Chouinard-Thuly, L., Leris, I., & Reader, S. M. (2018). Wild and laboratory exposure to cues of predation risk increase relative brain mass in male guppies. Functional Ecology, 32: 1847–1856. June 5, 2018
Conference organisation:
European Conference on Behavioural Biology, Organising committee.