Hearing, touch, taste, etc.
Sound transmission in water
water is 83x denser than air
sound travels 4.5x faster in water
- not rapidly attenuated; difficult to localize
low frequencies propagate better, faster
Sound transmission in water
water is 100x denser than air
sound travels 4.5x faster in water
- not rapidly attenuated; difficult to localize
low frequencies propagate better, faster
sound: small vibrations with particle displacement near source
- “near field” (a few meters)
sound pressure component – “far field”
Hearing and lateral line (acoustico-lateralis system)
Ears - sound reception in near field - acceleration, equilibrium
detects pressure waves
Lateral line – sound reception in far field - "distant touch"
detects particle displacement
Lateral line system
superficial (free) neuromasts
on body surface, or in
shallow pits or grooves
canal neuromasts in lateral line
Perciformes, Centrarchidae: black crappie
Perciformes, Moronidae: white perch
superficial neuromast
canal neuromasts
superficial neuromast
Lateral line system
location and type of neuromasts optimized for particular
prey, environment, etc.
Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae: golden shiner
Science, 27 July 2012, p. 409
Ears
equilibrium and balance:
three semicircular canals detect roll, yaw, pitch
also acceleration
Ears
equilibrium and balance:
three semicircular canals detect roll, yaw, pitch
also acceleration
semicircular canals
pars superior
(balance, acceleration)
utriculus
(lapillus)
Ears
sound reception
fish vibrates with sounds in water
otoliths vibrate slower, impinge on sensory cilia
semicircular canals
pars superior
(balance, acceleration)
utriculus
(lapillus)
lagena
(astericus)
sacculus
(sagitta)
pars inferior
(hearing)
Sagittal otolith
Left and right ears of a deep-sea cod.
Xiaohong Deng, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program,
University of Maryland.
http://www.life.umd.edu/biology/popperlab/research/deepsea.htm.
Ears
Otoliths
Fish hearing is limited to lower frequency range,
limited sensitivity to high frequencies
How can hearing sensitivity be improved?
Ears
hearing sensitivity improved with
1. Weberian apparatus – derived from vertebral bones
connects air bladder with ear labyrinth
present in ostariophysan fishes
(Cypriniformes, Characiformes, Siluriformes)
gives wide range of hearing (20-7000 Hz)
Ears
hearing sensitivity improved with
1. Weberian apparatus
connects air bladder with ear labyrinth
present in ostariophysan fishes
gives wide range of hearing (20-7000 Hz)
2. direct connection of swim bladder and ear
squirrelfishes (Holocentridae)
herrings etc. (Clupeidae)
Ears
hearing sensitivity improved with
1. Weberian apparatus
connects air bladder with ear labyrinth
present in ostariophysan fishes
gives wide range of hearing (20-7000 Hz)
2. direct connection of swim bladder and ear
3. airbreathers maintain bubble in superbranchial cavity,
near to ear
Sound production
homepage.univie.ac.at/friedrich.ladich/Topics.htm
http://www.fishecology.org/soniferous/waquoitposter.htm
Sound production
stridulation due to friction
- grinding of teeth
- movement of fin spine in socket, etc.
(catfish, triggerfish, filefish, sticklebacks)
Sound production
stridulation due to friction
- grinding of teeth
- movement of fin spine in socket, etc.
(catfish, triggerfish, filefish, sticklebacks)
via gas bladder
- release of air
Sound production
stridulation due to friction
- grinding of teeth
- movement of fin spine in socket, etc.
(catfish, triggerfish, filefish, sticklebacks)
via gas bladder
- release of air
- vibration of muscles (toadfishes, Batrachoididae;
searobins, Triglidae; drum, Sciaenidae)
Perciformes, Sciaenidae
– freshwater drum)
Sound production
stridulation due to friction
- grinding of teeth
- movement of fin spine in socket, etc.
(catfish, triggerfish, filefish, sticklebacks)
via gas bladder
- release of air
- vibration of muscles
incidental to other behaviors
- swimming and muscular motion
- breaking surface and splashing
- feeding, e.g., coral and crustacean-feeders
- production of bubbles
Sound production
Problems associated with human sound production
boat motors
sonar
dredging, construction
naval activities
Graham A L, Cooke S J. 2008 The effects of noise disturbance from various
recreational boating activities common to inland waters on the cardiac physiology
of a freshwater fish, the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) Aquatic
Conservation - Marine And Freshwater Ecosystems 18: 1315-1324
heart rate and stroke volume responded to canoe paddling, trolling
motor, and outboard motor:
canoe < trolling motor < outboard
time to recover:
canoe ~15 min, trolling motor ~ 25 min, outboard ~ 40 min
concluded that boating activities can have ecological and
environmental consequences
Taste and smell:
•communication
•individual recognition, especially of mates
•species recognition, esp. schooling species
•offspring recognition (cichlids)
•scent mark territories (gobies)
•dominant-subordinate relationships
•aggression-inhibiting pheromone produced by bullheads
living in groups
Olfaction (= chemoreception at "long" range/gradients)
more sensitive than taste
used for:
food finding
migration, e.g., salmon
intra, interspecific communication
Olfaction (= chemoreception at "long" range/gradients)
more sensitive than taste
used for:
food finding
migration, e.g., salmon
intra, interspecific communication
semiochemical – chemical used for communication
pheromone – elicits social response in same species
kairomone – benefits receiver, not emitter – between species
e.g., food, scent, necromone
Olfaction (= chemoreception at "long" range/gradients)
“Schreckstoff” alarm pheromones (Ostariophysi)
Olfaction (= chemoreception at "long" range/gradients)
“Schreckstoff” alarm pheromones (Ostariophysi)
originate in specialized ‘club’ cells in skin,
released when fish is damaged
effect is to alert other conspecifics
potent
highly specific (generally species-specific)
pass through gut of northern pike
Taste (= chemoreception at close range)
taste organs can reside on exterior surfaces:
barbels of bottom-dwelling fishes
lips of suckers
over much of body of ictalurids
Other cutaneous senses
touch
few detectors – shark fins; head, barbels of bullheads
mating behaviors (use of breeding tubercules)
parent-young communication in catfish, cichlids,
damselfishes
Other cutaneous senses
temperature
teleost cutaneous temp. sensitivity to 0.03C change
can distinguish rise from a fall in temperature
elasmobranchs detect temperature change with
ampullae of Lorenzini
Electrogeneration and electroreception
Production of electricity
muscular contractions generate electrical signal
‘stack’ specialized cells (electrocytes) to amplify signal
(in series) with insulating material around them
Production of electricity
Types of electricity produced:
strong current - for stunning prey or escaping predators
10 to several hundred volts
in ‘volleys’ of discharges
Production of electricity
Types of electricity produced:
strong current - for stunning prey or escaping predators
weak current - for electrolocation
- conspecifics in school, - prey
emit continuous signal; objects entering field are
detected by distortion of field
discharge 200 - 1600 cycles/sec
Production of electricity
used by most elasmobranches, some teleosts
strong-electric fishes
Gymnotiformes (Gymnotidae) – electric eels
weak-electric fishes
Osteoglossiformes (Mormyridae)
- African electric fishes
Torpediniformes (4 families)
– electric rays
(Gymnarchidae)
Perciformes (Uranoscopidae)
- stargazers
Siluriformes (Malapteruridae) - electric catfish
Rajiiformes (Rajiidae) – electric skates
Production of electricity
electricity-producing fishes tend to be
slow-moving, sedentary
active at night, or in murky water w. low visibility
have thick skin: good insulator
emhance signal-to-noise ratio with stiffened body
Electroreception
types of signals received
movement through earth’s magnetic field
current from muscular activity of other fish (prey)
signals produced by conspecifics
frequency shifts identify individuals
Electroreception
detection via external pit organs
ampullae of Lorenzini in elasmobranches
open to surrounding water via canals, filled w. conductive gel
sensitive to
temperature change
mechanical and weak electrical stimuli
changes in salinity