Haylee Quertermous

Animal behavio(u)r & sex changing fish🐠 | PhD student at University of Otago🇳🇿 | So. IL🇺🇸| BS & MS Bama🐘 | she/they

[Haylee Quertermous @HMQuertermous]

I’m excited to finally start my PhD studies in the Gemmell Lab at the University of Otago! I will be studying the sex changing New Zealand spotty wrasse!

[AK_Miller @AMillerH20bear7]

Congrats @ProfGemmell, @HMQuertermous, and the rest of the Uni Otago "Sexy Fish Team" on the huge win!

Spotty = Fish of the Year 2024

[Neil Gemmell @ProfGemmell]

Don’t get spotted. Vote Spotty for Fish of the Year. Details below https://t.co/o6MhUxAzTg

[Haylee Quertermous @HMQuertermous]

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

[Neil Gemmell @ProfGemmell]

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. @HMQuertermous @KajKamstra @ChloeAvdB @CulumBrown @JasoniCL

https://t.co/Hp4CLHKWqA

[Haylee Quertermous @HMQuertermous]

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

[Kaj Kamstra @KajKamstra]

🐟🧠 Neuroanatomy of a sex changing fish: the New Zealand spotty wrasse brain atlas 🐟🧠

https://t.co/SzLOSVUTaQ

[Haylee Quertermous @HMQuertermous]

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

[Kaj Kamstra @KajKamstra]

Awesome time in Hawaii with @HMQuertermous and @ProfGemmell. Thank you @VsdHawaii for a great meeting and really appreciate the travel award. Hoping to be back in 2026!

[Haylee Quertermous @HMQuertermous]

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

[Neil Gemmell @ProfGemmell]

More on the weird and wonderful world of sex changing fish @VsdHawaii from @HMQuertermous 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.

[Neil Gemmell @ProfGemmell]

Time for something a little different at @VsdHawaii. 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.

[Anthony Snead PhD @AnthonyASnead]

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!

[Haylee Quertermous @HMQuertermous]

@AnthonyASnead @Kmwinchell LET’S GOOOO!!!

[Haylee Quertermous @HMQuertermous]

Another day hard at work

[Haylee Quertermous @HMQuertermous]

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

[Haylee Quertermous @HMQuertermous]

@shannonbuttimer They’re the cutest!

[Haylee Quertermous @HMQuertermous]

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

[Haylee Quertermous @HMQuertermous]

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!

[Haylee Quertermous @HMQuertermous]

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)! @KajKamstra @ChloeAvdB @ProfGemmell

[Kaj Kamstra @KajKamstra]

Great couple of weeks doing fieldwork in Tauranga with the #sexyfish team @HMQuertermous @ChloeAvdB @ProfGemmell - Outdoors neuroscience, how good!