Related Experiment Videos
Masked auditory thresholds in sciaenid fishes: a comparative study.
John Ramcharitar1, Arthur N Popper
1Department of Biology and Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA. jramch@jhu.edu
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|October 14, 2004
Summary
Black drum and Atlantic croaker fish exhibit distinct frequency selectivity in their hearing, particularly under loud noise conditions. These differences in auditory perception may stem from variations in their swim bladder and otic capsule structures.
Area of Science:
- Ichthyology
- Bioacoustics
- Sensory Biology
Background:
- Western Atlantic sciaenids (croakers and drums) display diverse swim bladder-otic capsule relationships.
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) is a key method for assessing fish hearing sensitivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate frequency selectivity differences between black drum (Pogonias chromis) and Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus).
- To test if variations in swim bladder proximity to the otic capsule influence auditory processing.
Main Methods:
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) measurements were conducted on both species.
- Pure tone signals (100 Hz to 1.5 kHz) were used to determine auditory thresholds.
- Thresholds were measured with and without white noise masking at 124 dB and 136 dB re: 1 microPa.
Main Results:
- At 124 dB white noise, both species showed similar auditory sensitivity changes.
- At 136 dB white noise, black drum exhibited significantly greater auditory threshold shifts between 300-600 Hz.
- Atlantic croaker demonstrated less susceptibility to auditory threshold shifts, especially at higher masking levels.
Conclusions:
- The study indicates significant differences in frequency selectivity between black drum and Atlantic croaker.
- These auditory differences are potentially linked to the distinct peripheral auditory mechanisms, specifically swim bladder-otic capsule configurations.