Relationship of swim-bladder shape to the directionality pattern of underwater sound in the oyster toadfish

Abstract

The swim bladder of the oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau, has a distinctive heart shape with two anterior protrusions separated by a midline cleft. The lateral surfaces contain intrinsic muscles that meet at the caudal midline, but the rostromedial surface is muscle-free. We hypothesize that swim-bladder design represents a compromise between opposing tendencies toward (i) an omnidirectional sound source that would optimize a male's opportunity to attract females from any direction, and (ii) a directional sound source that would shield the nearby ears during sound production. To determine if the directionality of toadfish sound is consistent with this hypothesis, boatwhistle advertisement calls of individually identified males were recorded in the York River, Virginia, by means of two calibrated hydrophones and a waterproof recording system: one hydrophone was fixed 1 m in front of the fish and the second was roving. Boatwhistles in the horizontal plane propagated in a modified omnidirectional pattern that was bilaterally symmetrical. The mean sound pressure was 126 dB re: 1 µPa at 0°. The sound pressure level decreased by approximately 1 dB at ±45°, after which levels increased to 180°, averaging 3-6 dB greater behind (mean 130 dB) than directly in front of the fish. This pattern is consistent with the hypothesis that sound energy is reduced at the fish's ears. The source level and fundamental frequency of the boatwhistle were highly stereotyped, with coefficients of variation averaging less than 1%, and duration was more variable, with a coefficient of variation of 8%. Grunt levels overlapped but were slightly lower than boatwhistle values.