93
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
J.A. Sisneros (ed.), Fish Hearing and Bioacoustics, Advances in Experimental
Medicine and Biology 877, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-21059-9_6
Convergent Aspects of Acoustic
Communication in Darters, Sculpins,
and Gobies
Jeffrey N. Zeyl , Stefano Malavasi , Daniel E. Holt , Patricia Noel ,
Marco Lugli , and Carol E. Johnston
Abstract Darters (Perciformes, Percidae), sculpins (Perciformes, Cottidae), and
gobioids (Gobiiformes, Gobioidei) exhibit convergent life history traits, including a
benthic lifestyle and a cavity nesting spawning mode. Soniferous species within
these taxa produce pulsed and/or tonal sounds with peak frequencies below 200 Hz
(with some exceptions), primarily in agonistic and/or reproductive contexts. The
reduced or absent swim bladders found in these taxa limit or prevent both hearing
enhancement via pressure sensitivity and acoustic amplifi cation of the contracting
sonic muscles, which are associated with the skull and pectoral girdle. While such
anatomies constrain communication to low frequency channels, optimization of the
S/N (signal-to-noise) ratio in low frequency channels is evident for some gobies, as
measured by habitat soundscape frequency windows, nest cavity sound amplifi cation, and audiograms. Similar S/N considerations are applicable to many darter and
sculpin systems. This chapter reviews the currently documented diversity of sound
production in darters, sculpins, and gobioids within a phylogenetic context, examines the effi cacy of signal transmission from senders to receivers (sound production
mechanisms, audiograms, and masking challenges), and evaluates the potential
functional signifi cance of sound attributes in relation to territorial and reproductive
behaviours.
Keywords Etheostoma • Cottidae • Gobioidei • Fish hearing • Fish sound
production
J. N. Zeyl (*) • D. E. Holt • P. Noel • C. E. Johnston
Fish Biodiversity Lab , School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences,
Auburn University , Auburn , AL 36849 , USA
e-mail: jnz0002@tigermail.auburn.edu
S. Malavasi
Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica , Center for Estuarine,
CoastAL Marine Sciences (CEMAS), Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia ,
Castello 2737/b , 30122 Venice , Italy
M. Lugli
Department of Neurosciences , University of Parma , Parma , Italy
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
J.A. Sisneros (ed.), Fish Hearing and Bioacoustics, Advances in Experimental
Medicine and Biology 877, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-21059-9_6
Convergent Aspects of Acoustic
Communication in Darters, Sculpins,
and Gobies
Jeffrey N. Zeyl , Stefano Malavasi , Daniel E. Holt , Patricia Noel ,
Marco Lugli , and Carol E. Johnston
Abstract Darters (Perciformes, Percidae), sculpins (Perciformes, Cottidae), and
gobioids (Gobiiformes, Gobioidei) exhibit convergent life history traits, including a
benthic lifestyle and a cavity nesting spawning mode. Soniferous species within
these taxa produce pulsed and/or tonal sounds with peak frequencies below 200 Hz
(with some exceptions), primarily in agonistic and/or reproductive contexts. The
reduced or absent swim bladders found in these taxa limit or prevent both hearing
enhancement via pressure sensitivity and acoustic amplifi cation of the contracting
sonic muscles, which are associated with the skull and pectoral girdle. While such
anatomies constrain communication to low frequency channels, optimization of the
S/N (signal-to-noise) ratio in low frequency channels is evident for some gobies, as
measured by habitat soundscape frequency windows, nest cavity sound amplifi cation, and audiograms. Similar S/N considerations are applicable to many darter and
sculpin systems. This chapter reviews the currently documented diversity of sound
production in darters, sculpins, and gobioids within a phylogenetic context, examines the effi cacy of signal transmission from senders to receivers (sound production
mechanisms, audiograms, and masking challenges), and evaluates the potential
functional signifi cance of sound attributes in relation to territorial and reproductive
behaviours.
Keywords Etheostoma • Cottidae • Gobioidei • Fish hearing • Fish sound
production
J. N. Zeyl (*) • D. E. Holt • P. Noel • C. E. Johnston
Fish Biodiversity Lab , School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences,
Auburn University , Auburn , AL 36849 , USA
e-mail: jnz0002@tigermail.auburn.edu
S. Malavasi
Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica , Center for Estuarine,
CoastAL Marine Sciences (CEMAS), Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia ,
Castello 2737/b , 30122 Venice , Italy
M. Lugli
Department of Neurosciences , University of Parma , Parma , Italy