Sex-specific differences in agonistic behaviour, sound production and auditory sensitivity in the callichthyid armoured catfish Megalechis thoracata

PloS One
Oliwia Hadjiaghai, Friedrich Ladich

Abstract

Data on sex-specific differences in sound production, acoustic behaviour and hearing abilities in fishes are rare. Representatives of numerous catfish families are known to produce sounds in agonistic contexts (intraspecific aggression and interspecific disturbance situations) using their pectoral fins. The present study investigates differences in agonistic behaviour, sound production and hearing abilities in males and females of a callichthyid catfish. Eight males and nine females of the armoured catfish Megalechis thoracata were investigated. Agonistic behaviour displayed during male-male and female-female dyadic contests and sounds emitted were recorded, sound characteristics analysed and hearing thresholds measured using the auditory evoked potential (AEP) recording technique. Male pectoral spines were on average 1.7-fold longer than those of same-sized females. Visual and acoustic threat displays differed between sexes. Males produced low-frequency harmonic barks at longer distances and thumps at close distances, whereas females emitted broad-band pulsed crackles when close to each other. Female aggressive sounds were significantly shorter than those of males (167 ms versus 219 to 240 ms) and of higher dominant frequency ...Continue Reading

References

Aug 1, 1967·The Journal of Experimental Zoology·M J Cohen, H E Winn
Jan 1, 1993·Brain, Behavior and Evolution·R K BrantleyA H Bass
Apr 7, 1998·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·T N KenyonH Y Yan
Jun 19, 1998·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·F Ladich, H Y Yan
Jan 2, 2003·The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·Tomonari AkamatsuHong Y Yan
Jul 21, 2004·Trends in Genetics : TIG·Robert K CampbellBernard M Degnan
Mar 1, 2005·Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO·Lidia Eva Wysocki, Friedrich Ladich
Oct 29, 2005·Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part A, Comparative Experimental Biology·Jean Paul LagardèreEric Parmentier
Jan 12, 2007·International Journal of Dermatology·George W M Millington, Nick J Levell
Jul 30, 1965·Science·A A MyrbergP Heinecke
Nov 6, 2007·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Karen P MaruskaTimothy C Tricas
May 6, 2008·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Walter Lechner, Friedrich Ladich
Aug 7, 2008·The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·J Miguel SimõesM Clara Amorim
Jul 16, 2009·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Molecular & Integrative Physiology·Friedrich Ladich, Lidia Eva Wysocki
Dec 25, 2012·The Journal of Experimental Biology·D M Higgs, C A Radford
May 21, 2014·Nature Reviews. Genetics·Linda Koch
Jan 1, 2013·Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries·Friedrich Ladich, Richard R Fay

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
dissection
scanning electron microscopy

Software Mentioned

x Soundtools
PASW
SPSS
TDT BioSig RP
Cool Edit 2000
ST

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Auditory Perception

Auditory perception is the ability to receive and interpret information attained by the ears. Here is the latest research on factors and underlying mechanisms that influence auditory perception.