What sound does a fish make?

by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition

Photo credit: Ákos Szabó

What sound does a fish make? A recent article in The Washington Post explains that fish make lots of different noises, with different species using different parts of their bodies to make the noise.

I have heard fish noises while snorkeling in warm waters. Sometimes there’s a constant chatter. As the article reports, in birding one can often tell which bird is singing by looking at its beak or chest. If the water, it’s not possible to know which fish is making a specific sound. Now, advances in monitoring technology are making it possible to figure out which fish is making the sound.

This isn’t just research for the sake of scientific advancement. The scientists doing this research hope it will allow non-destructive monitoring of fish populations and habits, helping conservation authorities know what’s going on under the surface.

We hope this research will also help convince regulatory authorities to impose limits on underwater sound production. Noise travels far in water and interferes with communication and behavior in fish and marine mammals, and probably in invertebrates as well.

Quieter oceans, as part of a quieter world, will be a better and healthier world for all.