That sounds fishy!
Dr. Doolittle could talk to cats, dogs, monkeys, and pigs, but what about shrimp? While many people have heard the high-pitched squealing of the beluga, the playful “clicks” of the dolphin, and the haunting calls of the humpback whale, many lesser-known deep-water denizens contribute to what scientists are learning is an ocean of noise.
Scientists are discovering that many fish communicate with each other through sounds ranging from barely-audible whispers to assorted clicks, grunts, thumps, and, in the case of the toadfish, a distinctive “foghorn call.” Male Atlantic toadfish, whose Pacific relatives are called “singing fish,” attract females during the breeding season by rapidly twitching their gas bladders-an internal gas sac fish use to control buoyancy. In some species, like the oyster toadfish, the gas bladder is connected the inner ear and may give the fish a better sense of water pressure and hearing.
So far, researchers have found sound-making abilities in at least 1000 fish species, including the Atlantic croaker and the roughneck grunt. However, many of their sounds are low-volume and last for as little as ten milliseconds. Consequently, humans can only hear some of these sounds with special instruments.
The collection of sea sounds gets stranger. Shrimp and other crustaceans create sound by closing their claws at extremely high speeds to produce bubbles which pop and create intense noise. Snapping shrimp make these popping bubbles to stun their prey (small crabs, fish, and worms), defend their territory, and communicate with other shrimp. The noise is so loud it can seriously interfere with underwater military and scientific sonar.
Perhaps the smallest of these noisy species, seahorses can toss their heads against the star-shaped bony crests of their backs, producing clicks. These raucous sea creatures may leave you wondering: if a seahorse clicks its neck and no one hears it, does it make a sound?
