Sounds from a Fish with Two Swimbladders
For the past year, I have been studying the sounds and swimbladder morphology of the three-spined toadfish (Batrachomoeus trispinosus) from the western Pacific. These fish produce sounds during behaviors similar to other studied toadfish, but their sounds are quite different compared to other members of the family. Surprisingly, these fish have a swimbladder that is divided into two separate halves (seen in the photo to the right), essentially forming two distinct swimbladders, the first reported in fishes. This unique swimbladder shape may allow them to produce sounds with a complex acoustic structure, similar to the “two-voice” phenomenon seen in songbirds.
Here is the full citation and link to the paper:
Thursday, April 30, 2009
A cleared and stained B. trispinosus specimen (red= bone, blue= cartilage), showing the unique divided swimbladders of this species