Mgr. Matej Polačik Ph.D.

Position full-time researcher
Direction ecology of fish

+420 543 422 557

Finished projects

Embryo and environment – annual fish as a unique model to study embryo ecology (2018–2020)
Adaptive coexistence of distinct life history strategies in fish of the genus Nothobranchius (2011–2013)

Publications

2023

Polačik M, Vrtílek M (2023). Cryptic stasis during the development of Nothobranchius furzeri suggests new stages of dormancy outside of the typical three diapauses of annual killifishes. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 106: 575-583.
Polačik M, García D, Arezo MJ, Papa N, Schlueb H, Blanco D, Podrabsky JE, Vrtílek M (2023). Embryonic development of natural annual killifish populations of the genus Austrolebias: Evolutionary parallelism and the role of environment. Freshwater Biology, 68: 1726-1738.

2022

Blažek R, Polačik M, Reichard M (2022). Group intrusions by a brood parasitic fish are not cooperative. Behavioral Ecology, 33: 178-183.
Reichard M, Giannetti K, Ferreira T, Maouche A, Vrtílek M, Polačik M, Blažek R, Ferreira MG (2022). Lifespan and telomere length variation across populations of wild-derived African killifish. Molecular Ecology, 31: 5979-5992.
Reichard M, Janáč M, Blažek R, Žák J, Alila OD, Polačik M (2022). Patterns and drivers of Nothobranchius killifish diversity in lowland Tanzania. Ecology and Evolution, 12: e8990.
Reichard M, Blažek R, Žák J, Cellerino A, Polačik M (2022). The sources of sex differences in aging in annual fishes. Journal of Animal Ecology, 91: 540-550.
Zimmermann H, Blažek R, Polačik M, Reichard M (2022). Individual experience as a key to success for the cuckoo catfish brood parasitism. Nature Communications, 13:1210 1723.

2021

Polačik M, Vrtílek M, Reichard M, Žák J, Blažek R, Podrabsky J (2021). Embryo ecology: developmental synchrony and asynchrony in the embryonic development of wild annual fish populations. Ecology and Evolution, 11: 4945-4956.
Žák J, Vrtílek M, Polačik M, Blažek R, Reichard M (2021). Short-lived fishes: Annual and multivoltine strategies. Fish and Fisheries, 22: 546-561.

2020

Bartáková V, Nagy B, Polačik M, Blažek R, Lamtane H, Reichard M (2020). Genetic diversity of a widespread annual killifish from coastal Tanzania. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 20: 1.

2019

Polačik M, Reichard M, Smith C, Blažek R (2019). Parasitic cuckoo catfish exploit parental responses to stray offspring. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 374: 20180412.
Reichard M, Polačik M (2019). Nothobranchius furzeri, an 'instant' fish from an ephemeral habitat. eLife, 8: e41548.
Vrtílek M, Žák J, Polačik M, Blažek R, Reichard M (2019). Rapid growth and large body size in annual fish populations are compromised by density‐dependent regulation. Journal of Fish Biology, 95: 673-678.

2018

Blažek R, Polačik M, Smith C, Honza M, Meyer A, Reichard M (2018). Success of cuckoo catfish brood parasitism reflects coevolutionary history and individual experience of their cichlid hosts. Science Advances, 4: eaar4380.
Janáč M, Roche KF, Šlapanský L, Polačik M, Jurajda P (2018). Long-term monitoring of native bullhead and invasive gobiids in the Danubian rip-rap zone. Hydrobiologia, 807: 263-275.
Polačik M, Reichard M, Vrtílek M (2018). Local variation in embryo development rate in annual fish. Journal of Fish Biology, 92: 1359-1370.
Reichard M, Lanés LEK, Polačik M, Blažek R, Vrtílek M, Godoy RS, Maltchik L (2018). Avian predation mediates size-specific survival in a Neotropical annual fish: a field experiment. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 124: 56-66.
Vrtílek M, Žák J, Blažek R, Polačik M, Cellerino A, Reichard M (2018). Limited scope for reproductive senescence in wild populations of a short-lived fish. Science of Nature, eNaturwissenschaften 68.
Vrtílek M, Žák J, Polačik M, Blažek R, Reichard M (2018). Longitudinal demographic study of wild populations of African annual killifish. Scientific Reports, 8: 4774.

2017

Blažek R, Polačik M, Reichard M (2017). Rasches Wachstum, frühe Reifung und kurze Generationenzeit bei afrikanischen annuellen Fischen.. DKG Journal, 49: 131-141.
Blažek R, Polačik M, Kačer P, Cellerino A, Řežucha R, Methling C, Tomášek O, Syslová K, Terzibasi Tozzini E, Albrecht T, Vrtílek M, Reichard M (2017). Repeated intraspecific divergence in life span and aging of African annual fishes along an aridity gradient. Evolution, 71: 386-402.
Polačik M, Janáč M (2017). Costly defense in a fluctuating environment-sensitivity of annual Nothobranchius fishes to predator kairomones. Ecology and Evolution, 7: 4289-4298.
Polačik M, Smith C, Reichard M (2017). Maternal source of variability in the embryo development of an annual killifish. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 30: 738-749.
Reichard M, Blažek R, Polačik M, Vrtílek M (2017). Hatching date variability in wild populations of four coexisting species of African annual fishes. Developmental Dynamics, 246: 827-837.
Reichard M, Janáč M, Polačik M, Blažek R, Vrtílek M (2017). Community assembly in Nothobranchius annual fishes: nested patterns, environmental niche and biogeographic history. Ecology and Evolution, 7: 2294-2306.
Vrtílek M, Polačik M, Reichard M (2017). The role of energetic reserves during embryonic development of an annual killifish. Developmental Dynamics, 246: 838-847.

2016

Lanés LEK, Godoy RS, Maltchik L, Polačik M, Blažek R, Vrtílek M, Reichard M (2016). Seasonal dynamics in community structure, abundance, body size and sex ratio in two species of Neotropical annual fishes. Journal of Fish Biology, 89: 2345-2364.
Polačik M, Blažek R, Reichard M (2016). Laboratory breeding of the short-lived annual killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. Nature Protocols, 11: 1396-1413.

2015

Bartáková V, Reichard M, Blažek R, Polačik M, Bryja J (2015). Terrestrial fishes: rivers are barriers to gene flow in annual fishes from the African savanna. Journal of Biogeography, 42: 1832-1844.
Polačik M, Jurajda P, Blažek R, Janáč M (2015). Carcass feeding as a cryptic foraging mode in round goby Neogobius melanostomus. Journal of Fish Biology, 87: 194-199.
Reichard M, Douda K, Przybylski M, Popa OP, Karbanová E, Matasová K, Rylková K, Polačik M, Blažek R, Smith C (2015). Population-specific responses to an invasive species. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 282: 167-174 20151063.

2014

Polačik M, Harrod C, Blažek R, Reichard M (2014). Trophic niche partitioning in communities of African annual fish: evidence from stable isotopes. Hydrobiologia, 721: 99-106.
Polačik M, Blažek R, Řežucha R, Vrtílek M, Terzibasi Tozzini E, Reichard M (2014). Alternative intrapopulation life-history strategies and their trade-offs in an African annual fish. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 27: 854-865.
Reichard M, Polačik M, Blažek R, Vrtílek M (2014). Female bias in the adult sex ratio of African annual fishes: interspecific differences, seasonal trends and environmental predictors. Evolutionary Ecology, 28: 1105-1120.
Smith C, Phillips A, Polačik M, Reichard M (2014). Male coloration signals direct benefits in the European bitterling (Rhodeus amarus). Environmental Biology of Fishes, 97: 335-341.

2013

Bartáková V, Reichard M, Janko K, Polačik M, Blažek R, Reichwald K, Cellerino A, Bryja J (2013). Strong population genetic structuring in an annual fish, Nothobranchius furzeri, suggests multiple savannah refugia in southern Mozambique. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 13: 196.
Blažek R, Polačik M, Reichard M (2013). Rapid growth, early maturation and short generation time in African annual fishes. EvoDevo, 4: 241210 .
Jurajda P, Všetičková L, Polačik M, Vassilev M (2013). Can round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) caught by rod and line be used for diet analysis?. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 39: 182-1851210 .
Terzibasi Tozzini E, Dorn A, Ng’oma E, Polačik M, Blažek R, Reichwald K, Petzold A, Watters BR, Reichard M, Cellerino A (2013). Parallel evolution of senescence in annual fishes in response to extrinsic mortality. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 13: 77.

2012

Ondračková M, Slováčková I, Trichkova T, Polačik M, Jurajda P (2012). Shoreline distribution and parasite infection of black-striped pipefish Syngnathus abaster Risso, 1827 in the lower River Danube. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 28: 590-596.
Polačik M, Janáč M, Vassilev M, Trichkova T (2012). Morphometric comparison of native and non-native populations of round goby Neogobius melanostomus from the River Danube. Folia zoologica, 61: 1-8.

2011

Dorn A, Ng'oma E, Janko K, Reichwald K, Polačik M, Platzer M, Cellerino A, Reichard M (2011). Phylogeny, genetic variability and colour polymorphism of an emerging animal model: the short-lived annual Nothobranchius fishes from southern Mozambique. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 61: 739-749.
Francová K, Ondračková M, Polačik M, Jurajda P (2011). Parasite fauna of native and non-native populations of Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814) (Gobiidae) in the longitudinal profile of the Danube River. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 27: 879-886.
Polačik M, Reichard M (2011). Asymmetric reproductive isolation between two sympatric annual killifish with extremely short lifespans. PLoS ONE, 6: e22684.
Polačik M, Donner MT, Reichard M (2011). Age structure of annual Nothobranchius fishes in Mozambique: is there a hatching synchrony?. Journal of Fish Biology, 78: 796-809.
Reichard M, Bryja J, Polačik M, Smith C (2011). No evidence for host specialization or host-race formation in the European bitterling (Rhodeus amarus), a fish that parasitizes freshwater mussels. Molecular Ecology, 20: 3631-3643.

2010

Ondračková M, Francová K, Dávidová M, Polačik M, Jurajda P (2010). Condition status and parasite infection of Neogobius kessleri and N. melanostomus (Gobiidae) in their native and non-native area of distribution of the Danube River. Ecological Research, 25: 857-866.
Polačik M, Reichard M (2010). Diet overlap among three sympatric African annual killifish species (Nothobranchius spp.) from Mozambique. Journal of Fish Biology, 77: 754-768.
Reichard M, Watters BR, Wildekamp RH, Sonnenberg R, Nagy B, Polačik M, Valdesalici S, Cellerino A, Cooper BJ, Hengstler H, Rosenstock J, Sainthouse I (2010). Potential negative impacts and low effectiveness in the use of African annual killifish in the biocontrol of aquatic mosquito larvae in temporary water bodies. Parasites & Vectors, 3: 89.
Reichard M, Polačik M (2010). Reproductive isolating barriers between colour-differentiated populations of an African annual killifish, Nothobranchius korthausae (Cyprinodontiformes). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 100: 62-72.
Reichard M, Polačik M, Tarkan AS, Spence R, Gaygusuz Ö, Ercan E, Ondračková M, Smith C (2010). The bitterling–mussel coevolutionary relationship in areas of recent and ancient sympatry. Evolution, 64: 3047-3056.

2009

Polačik M, Reichard M (2009). Indirect fitness benefits are not related to male dominance in a killifish. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 63: 1427-1435.
Polačik M, Janáč M, Jurajda P, Adámek Z, Ondračková M, Trichkova T, Vassilev M (2009). Invasive gobies in the Danube: invasion success facilitated by availability and selection of superior food resources. Ecology of Freshwater Fish, 18: 640-649.
Reichard M, Polačik M, Sedláček O (2009). Distribution, colour polymorphism and habitat use of the African killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri, the vertebrate with the shortest life span. Journal of Fish Biology, 74: 198-212.

2008

Polačik M, Janáč M, Trichkova T, Vassilev M, Keckeis H, Jurajda P (2008). The distribution and abundance of the Neogobius fishes in their native range (Bulgaria) with notes on the non-native range in the Danube River. Large Rivers, 18: 193-208.
Polačik M, Janáč M, Jurajda P, Vassilev M, Trichkova T (2008). The sampling efficiency of electrofishing for Neogobius species in a riprap habitat: a field experiment. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 24: 601-604.
Polačik M, Trichkova T, Janáč M, Vassilev M, Jurajda P (2008). The ichthyofauna of the shoreline zone in the longitudinal profile of the Danube River, Bulgaria. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 60: 77-881210 .

2006

Jurajda P, Vassilev M, Polačik M, Trichkova T (2006). A first record of Perccottus glenii (Perciformes: Odontobutidae) in the Danube River in Bulgaria. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 58: 279-2821210 .
Polačik M, Kováč V (2006). Fecundity and annual course of maturation in spirlin, Alburnoides bipunctatus. Folia zoologica, 55: 399-410.

2005

Jurajda P, Černý J, Polačik M, Valová Z, Janáč M, Blažek R, Ondračková M (2005). The recent distribution and abundance of non-native Neogobius fishes in the Slovak section of the River Danube. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 21: 319-323.