Scientists in Berlin discovered that a minuscule, transparent fish generates a sound as loud as a jackhammer. The investigation was prompted by mysterious clicking noises in their lab's fish tanks.
Danionella cerebrum in a temporary container for photographic purposes
The Loudest Whisper: Tiny 12mm Fish Shatters Noise Records
Measuring a mere 12 millimeters, the Danionella cerebrum fish generates an astounding sound exceeding 140 decibels, akin to firecrackers and even rivals to the loudness of a gunshot. Researchers assert that, given its size, this species stands as the loudest fish discovered.
Predominantly examined for neuroscience due to its small, transparent nature, Verity Cook from Charité at Berlin University Medicine revealed that the fish's remarkable loudness extends to audible pulsing sounds, even noticeable while casually passing their tanks.
The drumming behavior is speculated to serve as a form of social communication. While larger animals generally produce louder sounds, underwater, this tiny marine species distinguishes itself as one of the most vociferous.
In contrast to terrestrial realms, where larger animals typically make more noise, underwater, the diminutive Danionella cerebrum emerges as one of the loudest marine species discovered. Renowned for its transparency, allowing observation of its brain in action, this tiny fish is prized by scientists for close behavioral scrutiny.
During their work with these fish in a German lab, scientists detected peculiarities. Passersby near the fish tanks could audibly discern sounds, leading to the revelation that the tiny fish itself was the source. Cook, the lead author and a Ph.D. student at Charité University highlighted the extraordinary aspect of these tiny creatures being both minuscule and exceptionally loud.
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How Did the Tiny Fish Produce Such Big Noise?
Cook and her team conducted experiments, gathering small groups of three or four fish in a tank and recording high-speed videos. They discovered that when the fish produce sound, a rib adjacent to their swim bladder, a vital organ for buoyancy control, is pulled by a specialized muscle into a piece of cartilage with a small indentation.
The tension built up in this contraction is rapidly released, causing the rib to strike the swim bladder and generate the distinctive drumming sound. While a portion of this sound reflects into the water, observers standing beside the fish tanks perceive it as a continuous buzzing sound.
Despite larger fish being louder, danionella's impressive sound for its size stands out in communication signals. The researchers highlight its sophisticated drumming mechanism, surpassing methods used by other fish. Male danionella exclusively generate this sound in group settings, showing a unique social hierarchy, and adding complexity to their communication.
The researchers believe that the evolutionary development of this ability to make loud noises played a role in the fish's adaptation to murky waters in Myanmar. This suggests that evolution has devised various solutions to unique challenges, challenging assumptions based on the functioning of other species.
The study, titled "Ultrafast sound production mechanism in one of the smallest vertebrates," detailing these findings has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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