Marine Bioacoustics: Fish Talk and Dolphin Listen
David Mann, College of Marine Science, University of South Florida
28 Jan 2005
Many fishes produce sounds during courtship and spawning by drumming muscles on their swimbladder. We have investigated the timing of sound production in sciaenid fishes using underwater long-term acoustic recorders. These analyses show consistent sound production on daily time scales and reveal the seasonal spawning cycles of these fishes. Sound-producing fishes are among the most common prey items of bottlenose dolphins, raising the possibility that dolphins listen for potential prey. While dolphins can hear their potential prey, the hearing of most of these fishes is not sensitive to the high frequencies dolphins use in their echolocation. Only one group of fishes, the shads and menhaden (Alosinae), seems to be able to detect the ultrasonic echolocation signals.