When Fish Talk, Scientists Listen

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Midshipman fish shown inside their nest in the rocky intertidal zone of northern California. There are newly fertilized eggs and larvae on the roof of the nest. Photo: Margaret Marchaterre Department of Neurobiology and Behavior Cornell University
Midshipman fish shown inside their nest in the rocky intertidal zone of northern California. There are newly fertilized eggs and larvae on the "roof" of the nest. Photo: Margaret Marchaterre, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University
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(PhysOrg.com) -- 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.


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