RNDr. Radim Blažek Ph.D.

Position full-time researcher
Direction fish evolutionary ecology

+420 543 422 527

Research interests

  • evolutionary ecology and ageing of annual fish,
  • brood parasitism,
  • diversity of african fish and their parasites.

Finished projects

Driver mutations in cancer genome of Nothobranchius furzeri: from tumor biology to concept of experimental model of spontaneous carcinogenesis (2019–2021)

Education

  • 1995-2000: undergraduate study – Masaryk University, Faculty of Sciences, Systematic Biology and Ecology. Master thesis: Seasonal dynamics in distribution of glochidia (Mollusca) in populations of fishes in South Bohemia, Czech Republic.
  • 2000-2008: Ph.D. study – Masaryk University, Faculty of Sciences, Parasitology. Ph.D. thesis: Occurrence and distribution of metazoan parasites within communities of host fish.

Zaměstnání/Employment

  • 2003-present: Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Brno (January 2011 – recent, part time contract) – research and development worker,
  • 2011-present: Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno – postdoctoral position.

Publications and Applied outputs

2025

Bartáková V, Bryjová A, Polačik M, Alila DO, Nagy B, Watters B, Bellstedt D, Blažek R, Žák J, Reichard M (2025). Phylogenomics and population genomics of Nothobranchius in lowland Tanzania: species delimitation and comparative genetic structure. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 108357.
Dyková I, Žák J, Blažek R, Slabý O (2025). Ultrastructural alterations of hepatocytes in short-lived model fish, Nothobranchius furzeri Jubb, 1971. Ultrastructural Pathology, 339.
Zimmermann H, Sefc KM, Blažek R, Bartáková V, Bryjová A, Katongo C, Koblmüller S, Reichard M (2025). Mixed parentage broods indicate group spawning in the brood parasitic cuckoo catfish. Molecular Ecology, e17692.

2024

Behrens KA, Zimmermann H, Blažek R, Reichard M, Koblmüller S, Kocher TD (2024). Turnover of sex chromosomes in the Lake Tanganyika cichlid tribe Tropheini (Teleostei: Cichlidae).. Scientific Reports, 2471.
Dyková I, Žák J, Blažek R, Zimmermann H, Polačik M, Bartáková V, Reichard M (2024). Oogenesis, spermatogenesis and spermiation structures in Lake Tanganyika Synodontis species (Mochokidae, Telostei: Siluriformes). Journal of Vertebrate Biology, 24023.
Englmaier GK, Blažek R, Zimmermann H, Bartáková V, Polačik M, Žák J, Mulokozi DP, Katongo C, Büscher HH, Mabo L, Koblmüller S, Palandačić A, Reichard M (2024). Revised taxonomy of Synodontis catfishes (Siluriformes: Mochokidae) from the Lake Tanganyika basin reveals lower species diversity than expected. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, zlae130.

2023

Reichard M, Douda K, Blažek R, Janovská A (2023). Increased plasma cortisol level as acute response to glochidia parasitism. Environmental Biology of Fishes.
Reichard M, Koblmüller S, Blažek R, Zimmermann H, Katongo C, Bryjová A, Bryja J (2023). Lack of host specialization despite selective host use in brood parasitic cuckoo catfish. Molecular Ecology.
Součková K, Jasík M, Sovadinová I, Sember A, Sychrová E, Konieczna A, Bystrý V, Dyková I, Blažek R, Lukšíková K, Pavlica T, Jankásek M, Altmanová M, Žák J, Zbončáková A, Reichard M, Slabý O (2023). From fish to cells: Establishment of continuous cell lines from embryos of annual killifish Nothobranchius furzeri and N. kadleci. Aquatic Toxicology, 106517.

2022

Žák J, Dyková I, Blažek R, Reichard M (2022). Good practices for histological analysis of the annual killifish Nothobranchius furzeri (Nothobranchiidae). Cold Spring Harbor protocols.
Zimmermann H, Blažek R, Polačik M, Reichard M (2022). Individual experience as a key to success for the cuckoo catfish brood parasitism. Nature Communications, 1723.
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.
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.
Dyková I, Žák J, Blažek R, Reichard M, Součková K, Slabý O (2022). Histology of major organ systems of Nothobranchius fishes: short-lived model species. Journal of Vertebrate Biology, 21074.
Blažek R, Polačik M, Reichard M (2022). Group intrusions by a brood parasitic fish are not cooperative. Behavioral Ecology.
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, e8990.

2021

de Bakker MA, van der Vos W, de Jager K, Chung WY, Fowler DA, Dondorp E, Spiekman SNF, Chew KY, Xie B, Jiménez R, Bickelmann C, Kuratani S, Blažek R, Kondrashov P, Renfree MB, Richardson MK (2021). Selection on Phalanx Development in the Evolution of the Bird Wing. Molecular Biology and Evolution.
Dyková I, Žák J, Reichard M, Součková K, Slabý O, Blažek R (2021). Swim bladder as a primary site of mycobacterial infection in Nothobranchius ‘belly sliders’. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms.
Dyková I, Žák J, Reichard M, Součková K, Slabý O, Bystrý V, Blažek R (2021). Histopathology of laboratory-reared Nothobranchius fishes: Mycobacterial infections versus neoplastic lesions. Journal of Fish Diseases.
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.
Žák J, Vrtílek M, Polačik M, Blažek R, Reichard M (2021). Short-lived fishes: Annual and multivoltine strategies. Fish and Fisheries.

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, 1.
Dyková I, Blažek R, Součková K, Reichard M, Slabý O (2020). Spontaneous adenocarcinoma of the gas gland in Nothobranchius fishes. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms.
Methling C, Blažek R, Řežucha R, Reichard M (2020). Individual-level pace-of-life syndromes in annual killifish are mediated by intersexual and interspecific differences. Evolutionary Ecology.

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, 20180412.
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.
Nezhybová V, Blažek R, Kašný M, Slamková D, Leontovyč R, Ondračková M (2019). Morphological and molecular characterization of Apatemon sp. infecting killifish in Mozambique. Parasitology International, 101967.
Jirsová D, Štefka J, Blažek R, Malala JO, Lotuliakou D, Mahmoud ZN, Jirků M (2019). From taxonomic deflation to newly detected cryptic species: Hidden diversity in a widespread African squeaker catfish. Scientific Reports, 15748.

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, eaar4380.
Pravdová M, Ondračková M, Přikrylová I, Blažek R, Mahmoud Z, Gelnar M (2018). Dactylogyrids (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea) from Sudanese Labeo spp., with a description of Dogielius sennarensis n. sp. and a redescription of Dogielius flosculus Guégan, Lambert & Euzet, 1989. Helminthologia.
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.
Vrtílek M, Žák J, Polačik M, Blažek R, Reichard M (2018). Longitudinal demographic study of wild populations of African annual killifish. Scientific Reports, 4774.
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, 68.

2017

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.
Blažek R, Polačik M, Reichard M (2017). Rapid growth, early maturation and short generation time in African annual fishes. DKG Journal, 49: 131-141.
Francová K, Seifertová M, Blažek R, Gelnar M, Mahmoud ZN, Řehulková E (2017). Quadriacanthus species (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) from catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes) in eastern Africa: new species, new records and first insights into interspecific genetic relationships. Parasites & Vectors, 361.
Nezhybová V, Reichard M, Blažek R, Ondračková M (2017). Metazoan parasites of African annual killifish (Nothobranchiidae): abundance, diversity, and their environmental correlates. Biotropica.
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.
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.

2016

Polačik M, Blažek R, Reichard M (2016). Laboratory breeding of the short-lived annual killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. Nature Protocols.
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.

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.
Dvořáková N, Čepička I, Qablan MA, Gibson W, Blažek R, Široký P (2015). Phylogeny and morphological variability of trypanosomes from African pelomedusid turtles with redescription of Trypanosoma mocambicum Pienaar, 1962. Protist.
Kičinjaová ML, Blažek R, Gelnar M, Řehulková E (2015). Annulotrema (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) from the gills of African tetras (Characiformes: Alestidae) in Lake Turkana, Kenya, with descriptions of four new species and a redescription of A. elongata Paperna and Thurston, 1969. Parasitology Research.
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.
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, 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.
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.
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.

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.
Blažek R, Polačik M, Reichard M (2013). Rapid growth, early maturation and short generation time in African annual fishes. EvoDevo.
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.

2012

Blažek R, Ondračková M, Vošlajerová Bímová B, Vetešník L, Petrášová I, Reichard M (2012). Fish diversity in the Niokolo Koba National Park, middle Gambia River basin, Senegal. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, 23: 263-272.
Přikrylová I, Blažek R, Vanhove MPM (2012). An overview of the Gyrodactylus (Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae) species parasitizing African catfishes, and their morphological and molecular diversity. Parasitology Research.

2011

Dávidová M, Blažek R, Trichkova T, Koutrakis E, Gaygusuz Ö, Ercan E, Ondračková M (2011). The role of the European bitterling (Rhodeus amarus, Cyprinidae) in parasite accumulation and transmission in riverine ecosystems. Aquatic Ecology.
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