ECR Spotlight – Kina Hayashi

Kina Hayashi

How did you become interested in biology?

I have loved animals since I was a little girl and have always been interested in their behavior. I was particularly interested in the behavior of fish. The first time I went SCUBA diving, I was impressed to see the fish in action up close. Because of this, I became interested in the ecosystem of coral reefs, where many creatures interact with each other, and began research on the symbiotic relationship between sea anemones and anemonefish.

Describe your scientific journey and your current research focus

I have been conducting ecological research for more than 10 years, mainly field observations using SCUBA dives, on the population dynamics, community structure and mechanisms of multispecies coexistence of six species of anemonefish in the Ryukyu Islands. In addition, since anemonefish defend their host anemonefish as their territory, I have also conducted behavioral observations to clarify the interspecific relationship between anemonefish and reef fish species that live around the anemonefish. In addition, we are currently conducting not only field studies but also captive experiments to clarify changes in species recognition and aggressive behavior, mainly based on anemonefish coloration patterns.

How would you explain the main findings of your paper to a member of the public?

Our study showed that the anemonefish Amphiprion ocellaris (a species that displays three white bars), raised in captivity and which had only seen individuals of their own species, exhibited aggressive behaviors toward their own species more frequently than toward other species of anemonefish, and the frequency of aggressive behavior toward the model with three bars was greatest among four types of model (no bar, 1 bar, 2 bars and 3 bars). This result supports the notion that anemonefish are able to discriminate between different numbers of white bars, and the differences in the number of white bars help anemonefish distinguish their own species.

What do you enjoy most about research, and why?

One of the most interesting things about doing research is that even when you put one study together in a paper, new questions arise again. In this way, there is no end to the research as we repeatedly clarify new questions as they arise. And I think that this is what makes research interesting, seemingly unrelated factors are combined to form a single study. For example, in coral reefs, color pattern is closely related to habitat selection, community structure, and interspecific and intraspecific relationships. These elements are essential to the function of color patterns in coral reefs.

What is the most important lesson that you have learned from your career so far?

What I consider important is to study the target organisms both in captivity and in the field, and to conduct long-term ecological research. At a time when the marine environment is changing, a database obtained through long-term observation is the most important thing for future conservation measures. To do so, I have learned that one must have an interest and love for living organisms and their surrounding environment, continue to record them patiently, vigorously and accurately, and once one decides to do something, never compromise, and have the energy to confront and resolve difficulties.