THE ACOUSTICAL BEHAVIOR OF SOME FISHES IN THE BIMINI AREA

¹ Bowdoin, College, Brunswick, Maine

1. On the basis of observations and recordings at sea and in the laboratory, the acoustical behavior of 13 species of Bahamian fishes is described, and their sounds are defined. Twenty-six species producing no calls in the course of this study are specified.

2. The most important sound-producers among fishes of the Bimini area are the squirrelfish, Holocentrus ascensionis, and the Nassau grouper, Epinephalus striatus. Their characteristic sounds may be anticipated when these species encounter a strange object at sea, and probably generally during the daytime along the edges of the Great Bahama Bank.

3. A single observation has indicated that calling is a component of recognition behavior in the black angelfish, Pomacanthus arcuatus. The families Chaetodontidae and Holocentridae should be added to lists of fish families containing calling members.

4. The usefulness of underwater listening in studying the distribution of some calling fishes has been demonstrated in the cases of the squirrelfish and Nassau grouper.

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