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Vítor Almada was undoubtedly one of the most learned, inspiring and charismatic biologists of his generation in Portugal. His intelligence, generosity and charm attracted many students and colleagues to his chosen field of fish behaviour, a topic a bit surprising in a person who was born blind. But his blindness was never a defining feature, rather an inconvenience that he surpassed elegantly, with the help of family, friends and technology. And when one talked to the man, sometimes it was unbelievable that he could not actually see whatever he was discussing. His love of nature was expressed in his detailed knowledge of animals and plants; although he was comfortable in a classroom, his office or the lab, he clearly felt much better on a beach, a mountain river bank or a forest. Vítor was an enthusiastic and contagious thinker, infinitely curious about evolution, a lover of good living, of savoury foods (hence his famously robust waistline…), of art, history, politics and lively conversation.

With a PhD from the University of Lisbon (1990), Vítor Almada was a full Professor at ISPA-Instituto Universitário, where he came to work in 1974. Here, he built up one of the first ethological research programmes in Portugal, focusing on littoral fish, and started an enduring tradition of behavioural biology teaching. ISPA also owes him several higher education programmes in biology up to the PhD level and an internationally renowned laboratory, working in the areas of marine biology and conservation, behaviour, genetics, evolution and biogeography. Scores of Portuguese students of behaviour, ecology or phylogeny (present writer included) benefited from his wise and knowledgeable supervision.

In 1987, he was a co-founder of the Portuguese Ethological Society (the cradle of acta ethologica), and he chaired the Board of the Society through multiple terms. He authored and co-authored more than 160 papers and book chapters (mainly on marine fish, but also on fresh water fish, lampreys, echinoderms, birds and dolphins—see a sample of his publications below). Due to health issues, Vítor was recently semi-retired from teaching (but never from studying, writing and doing research!).

Vítor was the proud father of Ana (a psychologist), Pedro (a biologist) and Clara (an artist).

I thank Joana Robalo for helping me in our grateful tributes to this remarkable scholar and unforgettable man.