Scientists from Cornell University (USA) maintain that fish communicate through sounds much more than previously believed, a behavior that dates back in some species to 155 million years ago, according to their research , recently published in Ichthyology & Herpetology.
Within the framework of the study, the researchers analyzed data on actinopterygians, the dominant class of bony fish, which groups 99% of known species, through three sources of information: existing recordings and scientific articles describing the sounds of the fish; the known anatomy of fish and references in 19th century literature, before underwater microphones were invented.
The study’s lead author, Aaron Rice, says it’s long been known that “some fish make sounds,” although they were always perceived as “oddities.” “We wanted to know if these are isolated cases or if the fish have a broader pattern of acoustic communication,” he explains.
After their study, the scientists concluded that 175 families, that is, two thirds of the species, communicate or are capable of communicating through sounds. They also maintain that the sound of fish has evolved 33 times over millions of years.
According to the researchers, the fish ‘talk’ more or less about the same things that humans do: sex and food. Fish typically communicate to try to attract a mate, defend a food source or territory, or let other fish know where they are, says the study’s author.
Rice intends to continue to track the discovery of sounds in fish species and add them to his database, as part of a project that began 20 years ago with the study’s co-authors.
