255
© 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_12
The Potential Overlapping Roles of the Ear
and Lateral Line in Driving “Acoustic”
Responses
Dennis M. Higgs and Craig A. Radford
Abstract Examination of fi sh responses to sound stimuli has a rich and varied history but it is not always clear when responses are true measures of hearing or the
lateral-line. The central innervation of auditory and lateral-line sensory afferents lie
in close proximity in the brainstem and both sets of receptors are, at heart, hair cellbased particle motion detectors. While it is possible to separately measure physiological activity of these two receptor subtypes, many studies of fi sh “hearing” use
whole brain potentials or behavioural assays in complex sound fi elds where it is not
possible to distinguish inputs. We argue here that, as often measured, what is thought
of as fi sh “hearing” is often a multisensory response of both auditory and lateral line
receptors. We also argue that in many situations where fi sh use sound stimuli, the
behaviour is also an integrative response of both systems, due to the often close
proximity of fi sh during sound communication. We end with a set of recommendations for better understanding the separate and combined roles of ear and lateral-line
hair cells as well as an acknowledgment of the seminal and continuing contributions
of Arthur N. Popper and Richard R. Fay to this fi eld.
Keywords Fish hearing • Mechanosensory • Auditory • Lateral line • Acoustic
communication • Multisensory integration
1 Introduction
As generally reported, the response of fi sh to a sound source is typically considered
“hearing” and structural correlates to this response have focused on ears and other
auditory structures, such as Weberian ossicles and laterophysic connections (e.g.
D. M. Higgs (*)
Department of Biological Sciences , University of Windsor , Windsor , ON , Canada
e-mail: dhiggs@uwindsor.ca
C. A. Radford
Leigh Marine Laboratory , Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland ,
Auckland , New Zealand
e-mail: c.radford@auckland.ac.nz
© 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_12
The Potential Overlapping Roles of the Ear
and Lateral Line in Driving “Acoustic”
Responses
Dennis M. Higgs and Craig A. Radford
Abstract Examination of fi sh responses to sound stimuli has a rich and varied history but it is not always clear when responses are true measures of hearing or the
lateral-line. The central innervation of auditory and lateral-line sensory afferents lie
in close proximity in the brainstem and both sets of receptors are, at heart, hair cellbased particle motion detectors. While it is possible to separately measure physiological activity of these two receptor subtypes, many studies of fi sh “hearing” use
whole brain potentials or behavioural assays in complex sound fi elds where it is not
possible to distinguish inputs. We argue here that, as often measured, what is thought
of as fi sh “hearing” is often a multisensory response of both auditory and lateral line
receptors. We also argue that in many situations where fi sh use sound stimuli, the
behaviour is also an integrative response of both systems, due to the often close
proximity of fi sh during sound communication. We end with a set of recommendations for better understanding the separate and combined roles of ear and lateral-line
hair cells as well as an acknowledgment of the seminal and continuing contributions
of Arthur N. Popper and Richard R. Fay to this fi eld.
Keywords Fish hearing • Mechanosensory • Auditory • Lateral line • Acoustic
communication • Multisensory integration
1 Introduction
As generally reported, the response of fi sh to a sound source is typically considered
“hearing” and structural correlates to this response have focused on ears and other
auditory structures, such as Weberian ossicles and laterophysic connections (e.g.
D. M. Higgs (*)
Department of Biological Sciences , University of Windsor , Windsor , ON , Canada
e-mail: dhiggs@uwindsor.ca
C. A. Radford
Leigh Marine Laboratory , Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland ,
Auckland , New Zealand
e-mail: c.radford@auckland.ac.nz