Dr Penelope Watt

School of Biosciences

Senior Lecturer in Zoology

p.j.watt@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 0076

Alfred Denny Building

Full contact details

Dr Penelope Watt
School of Biosciences
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN

Profile: I am a behavioural ecologist working on personality traits, the genetic basis of behaviour and the impact of stress on behaviour, including transgenerational effects and potential epigenetic mechanisms, in fish. We also work on earthworm behaviour, distribution and health with the view to improve soil quality.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Featured publications

Journal articles

Guevara-Fiore P, Stapley J & Watt PJ (2010) Mating effort and female receptivity: how do male guppies decide when to invest in sex?. BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1665-1672.
Guevara-Fiore P, Rosenqvist G & Watt PJ (2010) Inbreeding level does not induce female discrimination between sibs and unrelated males in guppies. BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1601-1607.
Guevara-Fiore P, Stapley J, Krause J, Ramnarine IW & Watt PJ (2010) Male mate-searching strategies and female cues: how do male guppies find receptive females?. ANIM BEHAV, 79(6), 1191-1197.
Shohet AJ & Watt PJ (2009) Female guppies Poecilia reticulata prefer males that can learn fast. J FISH BIOL, 75(6), 1323-1330.
Guevara-Fiore P, Skinner A & Watt PJ (2009) Do male guppies distinguish virgin females from recently mated ones?. ANIM BEHAV, 77(2), 425-431.
Romey WL, Walston AR & Watt PJ (2008) Do 3-D predators attack the margins of 2-D selfish herds?. BEHAV ECOL, 19(1), 74-78.

All publications

Journal articles

Berthon K, Jaworski CC, Beacham JD, Jackson P, Leake J, McHugh NM, Capstick L, Daniell T, Krzywoszynska A, Cameron D , Holland J et al (2024) Measuring the transition to regenerative agriculture in the UK with a co-designed experiment: design, methods and expected outcomes. Environmental Research: Food Systems, 1(2). View this article in WRRO
Kitson JE, Ord J & Watt PJ (2022) Maternal chronic ethanol exposure decreases stress responses in zebrafish offspring. Biomolecules, 12(8).
Ord J, Fazeli A & Watt PJ (2022) Brief exposures to conspecific-derived alarm substance are sufficient to induce paternal intergenerational effects in zebrafish. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 105(6), 741-751.
Alfakih A, Watt PJ & Nadeau NJ (2022) The physiological cost of colour change: evidence, implications and mitigations. Journal of Experimental Biology, 225(10).
Berdeni D, Turner A, Grayson RP, Llanos J, Holden J, Firbank LG, Lappage MG, Hunt SPF, Chapman PJ, Hodson ME , Helgason T et al (2021) Soil quality regeneration by grass-clover leys in arable rotations compared to permanent grassland: Effects on wheat yield and resilience to drought and flooding. Soil and Tillage Research, 212.
Ord J, Holmes KE, Holt WV, Fazeli A & Watt PJ (2020) Premature birth stunts early growth and is a possible driver of stress‐induced maternal effects in the guppy Poecilia reticulata. Journal of Fish Biology, 96(2), 506-515.
Eachus H, Bright C, Cunliffe VT, Placzek M, Wood JD & Watt PJ (2018) 1.4 Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia-1 is essential for normal hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis function. ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology, 15. View this article in WRRO
Ord J, Fazeli A & Watt PJ (2017) Long-term effects of the periconception period on embryo epigenetic profile and phenotype: The role of stress and how this effect is mediated. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 1014(Periconception in Physiology and Medicine), 117-135. View this article in WRRO
Eachus H, Bright C, Cunliffe VT, Placzek M, Wood JD & Watt PJ (2017) Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia-1 is essential for normal hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis function. Human Molecular Genetics, 26(11), 1992-2005. View this article in WRRO
Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2015) Effect of hunger level and time of day on boldness and aggression in the zebrafishDanio rerio. Journal of Fish Biology, 86(6), 1852-1859.
Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2013) Disassortative mating for boldness decreases reproductive success in the guppy. Behavioral Ecology, 24(6), 1320-1326.
Ariyomo TO, Carter M & Watt PJ (2013) Heritability of boldness and aggressiveness in the zebrafish.. Behav Genet, 43(2), 161-167.
Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2013) Aggression and sex differences in lateralization in the zebrafish. Animal Behaviour.
Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2012) The effect of variation in boldness and aggressiveness on the reproductive success of zebrafish. Animal Behaviour, 83(1), 41-46.
Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2011) The effect of variation in boldness and aggressiveness on the reproductive success of zebrafish. Animal Behaviour.
Watt PJ, Skinner A, Hale M, Nakagawa S & Burke T (2011) Small Subordinate Male Advantage in the Zebrafish. Ethology.
Watt PJ, Skinner A, Hale M, Nakagawa S & Burke T (2011) Small Subordinate Male Advantage in the Zebrafish. Ethology, 117(11), 1003-1008.
Guevara-Fiore P, Stapley J & Watt PJ (2010) Mating effort and female receptivity: how do male guppies decide when to invest in sex?. BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1665-1672.
Guevara-Fiore P, Rosenqvist G & Watt PJ (2010) Inbreeding level does not induce female discrimination between sibs and unrelated males in guppies. BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1601-1607.
Guevara-Fiore P, Stapley J, Krause J, Ramnarine IW & Watt PJ (2010) Male mate-searching strategies and female cues: how do male guppies find receptive females?. ANIM BEHAV, 79(6), 1191-1197.
Guevara-Fiore P, Stapley J, Krause J, Ramnarine IW & Watt PJ (2010) Male mate-searching strategies and female cues: How do male guppies find receptive females?. Animal Behaviour, 79(6), 1191-1197.
Guevara-Fiore P, Rosenqvist G & Watt PJ (2010) Inbreeding level does not induce female discrimination between sibs and unrelated males in guppies. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 1-7.
Shohet AJ & Watt PJ (2009) Female guppies Poecilia reticulata prefer males that can learn fast. J FISH BIOL, 75(6), 1323-1330.
Guevara-Fiore P, Skinner A & Watt PJ (2009) Do male guppies distinguish virgin females from recently mated ones?. ANIM BEHAV, 77(2), 425-431.
Romey WL, Walston AR & Watt PJ (2008) Do 3-D predators attack the margins of 2-D selfish herds?. BEHAV ECOL, 19(1), 74-78.
Skinner AMJ & Watt PJ (2007) Strategic egg allocation in the zebra fish, Danio rerio. BEHAV ECOL, 18(5), 905-909.
Skinner AMJ & Watt PJ (2007) Phenotypic correlates of spermatozoon quality in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata. BEHAV ECOL, 18(1), 47-52.
Shohet AJ & Watt PJ (2004) Female association preferences based on olfactory cues in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata. BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 55(4), 363-369.
Watt PJ & Shohet AJ (2003) Female preferences based on olfactory cues in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Journal of Fish Biology, 63(s1), 258-258.
Watt PJ, Shohet AJ & Renshaw K (2001) Female choice for good genes and sex-biased broods in guppies. J FISH BIOL, 59(4), 843-850.
Woodward M, Winder L & Watt P () Enrichment Increases Aggression in Zebrafish. Fishes, 4(1), 22-22.
Ord J, Heath PR, Fazeli A & Watt PJ () Paternal effects in a wild‐type zebrafish implicate a role of sperm‐derived small RNAs. Molecular Ecology. View this article in WRRO

Preprints

Llanos J, Hipperson H, Horsburgh G, Lappage M, Maher KH, Burke T, Leake JR & Watt PJ (2023) Environmental DNA is more effective than soil-pit hand sorting in evaluating earthworm biodiversity responses to more regenerative agricultural management, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Research group

Current graduate students

2016 - Joseph Llanos. Earthworm distribution and population dynamics. PhD.
2017 - Wafa Abudayah. Anxiety as a personality trait in zebrafish. PhD.
2018 - Charlotte Redfern. Telomeres and stress in zebrafish. Masters.
2018 - Joel Kelly. Transgenerational stress & gene expression in zebrafish. MRes.
2018 - Stephanie Faulkner. Lateralisation and aggression in fish. MRes.
2018 - Chloe Mcloughlin. Earthworm behaviour and immunity. Masters.

Recent graduate students

2012-15 Helen Eachus. Behavioural and endocrine analysis of stress responses and the roles of epigenetic mechanisms in developmental plasticity of stress phenotypes in zebrafish. PhD.
2014-18 James Ord. Parental stress and its effects on the offspring of guppies and zebrafish. PhD.
2016-17 Juliet Kitson. Maternal chronic ethanol exposure influences social and anxiety-like behaviours in zebrafish offspring. Masters.
2016-17 Poppy Craig. The effects of sex, drug naivety and the bold-shy continuum on anxiety of adult zebrafish during ethanol withdrawal. Masters.
2017-18 Betsy Stanhope. Transgenerational effects of stress on anxious and aggressive behaviours in the zebrafish. Masters.
2017-18 Grace Holland. The effect of tetracycline on the health of Lumbricus terrestris. Masters.

+ 8 other PhD students that successfully defended their thesis. 10+ masters students.

Grants

2015 EpiStressNet: A biosocial systems approach to understanding the epigenetic embedding of social stress responses (co-investigator). ESRC/BBSRC (£249, 704).

Teaching activities

I am L1 and Senior Tutor, the Disability Liaison Officer and Head of Exams in APS. I was awarded APS Teacher of the Year in 2010.

In L2, I teach APS272 (Animal Diversity) and APS226 (Animal Diversity Practicals). As a zoologist, I have a real passion for animals and I hope to put this across in teaching.

In L3, I supervise projects (APS345) in behavioural ecology. I have an interest in science education in primary and secondary schools, which stems from being a school governor and being involved in science outreach, and I supervise students taking the Undergraduate Ambassador Scheme (APS340).

Professional activities and memberships

Member of the University Discipline, Appeals and Faculty Student Review Committees
External Examiner, University of Nottingham (Zoology) (from Oct 2017)
Member of Inner International Assessment Board, Irish Research Council, Dublin (March 2017, 2019)
Invited seminar, Merton College Biology Society, University of Oxford (Feb 2017) APS Christmastime Lecture (Dec 2016)
ASAB Easter 2014 Conference organizer, April 2014, University of Sheffield
Member of the Field Studies Council Executive Committee (from 2011-17)
Member of the Field Studies Council Education Committee (from 2011-17) & Chair (2016-17)
Invited speaker: Fishing for Clues – the mystery of the zebrafish revealed. LASA (2011)