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For further information, contact the MBL Communications Office at (508) 289-7423 or e-mail us at comm@mbl.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 17, 2008
Contact: Diana Kenney, (508) 289-7139, dkenney@mbl.edu
When Fish Talk, Scientists Listen
MBL Visiting Investigators Explore the Evolution of Social Communication
MBL, WOODS HOLE, MA—A male midshipman, a close relative of the toadfish, doesn’t need good looks to attract a mate – just a nice voice. After building a nest for his potential partner, he calls to nearby females by contracting his swim bladder, the air-filled sac fish use to maintain buoyancy. The sound he makes is not a song or a whistle, but a hum; more reminiscent of a long-winded foghorn than a ballad. Female midshipman find it very alluring, and they only approach a male’s nest if he makes this call... More>>>
Resources
Citation:
Bass, A.H., E.H. Gilland, and R. Baker. 2008. Evolutionary Origins for Social Vocalization in a Vertebrate Hindbrain-Spinal Compartment. Science 321: 417-421
 Audio Files
The hum is the advertisement call that males use to attract females to their nest. The growl and grunt are aggressive calls that males produce when defending their nest against intruders. Audio credit: Margaret Marchaterre, Cornell University
Photos: Click on thumbnails for high-resolution photos. Photo credit: Margaret Marchaterre, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University.
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