Perhaps all that comes to mind when you consider how fish interact with one another is a watery silence broken sometimes by the occasional bubble.
However, according to Cornell University researcher Aaron Rice in Ithaca, New York, “the oceans are alive with sound” in actuality. Fish communicate underwater by making a variety of sounds, such as clicks, grunts, plops, and screeches. Some fish, like toadfish, sing lovely tunes to one another, while other fish, like herring, use their digestive tracts to communicate—mmore on this later. They employ these signals for several purposes:
According to news, there have been hints that fish are more talkative than we may have thought since the 4th century, from Aristotle’s writings to rumors from old-time fishing villages. However, the underwater recording devices have reduced our capacity to listen in on fish conversations. (Read this story by Katherine Latham to learn more about why scientists are listening in on the ocean.)
