Many teleosts emit sounds from cavities beneath stones and other types of submerged objects, yet the acoustical properties of fish shelters are virtually unexplored. This study examines the gain properties of shelters commonly used by Mediterranean gobies as hiding places and/or nest sites in the field (flat stones, shells belonging to five bivalve species), or within aquarium tanks (tunnel-shaped plastic covers, concrete blocks, concrete cylinder pipe, halves of terracotta flower pots). All shelters were acoustically stimulated using a small underwater buzzer, placed inside or around the shelter to mimic a fish calling from the nest site, and different types of driving stimuli (white noise, pure tones, and artificial pulse trains). Results showed the presence of significant amplitude gain (3–18 dB) at frequencies in the range 100–150 Hz in all types of natural shelters but one (Mytilus), terracotta flower pots, and concrete blocks. Gain was higher for stones and artificial shelters than for shells. Gain peak amplitude increased with the weight of stones and shells. Conclusions were verified by performing analogous acoustical tests on flat stones in the stream. Results draw attention to the use of suitable shelters for proper recording of sounds produced by fishes kept within laboratory aquaria.

1.
Akamatsu
,
T.
,
Okumura
,
T.
,
Novarini
,
N.
, and
Yan
,
H. Y.
(
2002
). “
Empirical refinements applicable to the recording of fish sounds in small tanks
,”
J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
112
,
3073
3082
.
2.
Albers
,
V. M.
(
1965
).
Underwater Acoustics Handbook. II
(
Pennsylvania State University Press
,
University Park, PA
), pp.
1
356
.
3.
Amorim
,
M. C. P.
, and
Neves
,
A. S. M.
(
2007
). “
Acoustic signalling during courtship in the painted goby, Pomatoschistus pictus
,”
J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. U.K.
87
,
1017
1023
.
4.
Bailey
,
W. J.
,
Bennet-Clark
,
H. C.
, and
Fletcher
,
N. H.
(
2001
). “
Acoustics of a small Australian burrowing cricket: The control of low-frequency pure-tone songs
,”
J. Exp. Biol.
204
,
2827
2841
.
5.
Barimo
,
J. F.
, and
Fine
,
M. L.
(
1998
). “
Relationship of swim-bladder shape to the directionality pattern of underwater sound in the oyster toadfish
,”
Can. J. Zool.
76
,
134
143
.
6.
Bradbury
,
J. W.
, and
Vehrencamp
,
S. L.
(
1998
).
Principles of Animal Communication
(
Sinauer
,
Sunderland, MA
), pp.
1
882
.
7.
Brantley
,
R. K.
, and
Bass
,
A. H.
(
1994
). “
Alternative male spawning tactics and acoustic signals in the Plainfin Midshipman fish Porichthys notatus Girard (Teleostei, Batrachoididae)
,”
Ethology
96
,
213
232
.
8.
Dowling
,
A. P.
, and
Ffowcs William
,
J. E.
(
1983
).
Sound and Sources of Sound
(
Ellis Horwood
,
Chichester, UK
), pp.
1
321
.
9.
Harris
,
G. G.
(
1964
). “
Considerations on the physics of sound production by fishes
,” in
Marine Bio-Acoustics
, edited by
W. N.
Tavolga
(
Pergamon
,
Oxford, UK
), Vol.
1
, pp.
233
247
.
10.
Ladich
,
F.
(
1989
). “
Sound production by the river bullhead
,”
J. Fish. Biol.
35
,
531
538
.
11.
Ladich
,
F.
(
1998
). “
Sound characteristics and outcome of contests in male croaking gouramis (Teleostei)
,”
Ethology
104
,
517
529
.
12.
Lindström
,
K.
, and
Lugli
,
M.
(
2000
). “
A quantitative analysis of the courtship acoustic behavior and sound patterning in male sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus
,”
Environ. Biol. Fish.
58
,
411
424
.
13.
Lugli
,
M.
,
Bobbio
,
L.
,
Torricelli
,
P.
, and
Gandolfi
,
G.
(
1992
). “
Breeding ecology and male spawning success in two hill-stream populations of the freshwater goby, Padogobius martensii
,”
Environ. Biol. Fish.
35
,
37
48
.
17.
Lugli
,
M.
, and
Fine
,
M. L.
(
2003
). “
Acoustic communication in two freshwater gobies: ambient noise and short-range propagation in shallow streams
,”
J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
114
,
512
521
.
14.
Lugli
,
M.
,
Pavan
,
G.
,
Torricelli
,
P.
, and
Bobbio
,
L.
(
1995
). “
Spawning vocalizations in male freshwater gobies (Pisces, Gobiidae)
,”
Environ. Biol. Fish.
43
,
219
231
.
16.
Lugli
,
M.
, and
Torricelli
,
P.
(
1999
). “
Pre-spawning sound production in the Mediterranean sand-gobies
,”
J. Fish Biol.
54
,
691
694
.
15.
Lugli
,
M.
,
Torricelli
,
P.
,
Pavan
,
G.
, and
Mainardi
,
D.
(
1997
). “
Sound production during courtship and spawning in freshwater gobies (Pisces, Gobiidae)
,”
Mar. Freshw. Behav. Physiol.
29
,
109
126
.
18.
Lugli
,
M.
,
Yan
,
H. Y.
, and
Fine
,
M.
(
2003
). “
Acoustic communication in two freshwater gobies: the relationship between ambient noise, hearing thresholds and sound spectrum
,”
J. Comput. Physiol. A
189
,
309
320
.
19.
Malavasi
,
S.
,
Collatuzzo
,
S.
, and
Torricelli
,
P.
(
2008
). “
Interspecific variation of acoustic signals in Mediterranean gobies (Perciformes, Gobiidae): comparative analysis and evolutionary outlook
,”
Biol. J. Linn. Soc.
93
,
763
778
.
20.
McKibben
,
J. R.
, and
Bass
,
H. A.
(
1998
). “
Behavioral assessment of acoustic parameters relevant to signal recognition and preference in a vocal fish
,”
J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
104
,
3520
3533
.
21.
Myrberg
,
A. A.
, Jr.
, and
Lugli
,
M.
(
2006
). “
Reproductive behavior and acoustical interactions
,” in
Communication in Fishes
, edited by
F.
Ladich
,
S. P.
Collin
,
P.
Moller
, and
B. G.
Kapoor
(
Science Publishers
,
Enfield, NH
), Vol.
1
, pp.
149
176
.
22.
Penna
,
M.
(
2004
). “
Amplification and spectral shifts of vocalizations inside burrows of the frog Eupsophus calcaratus (Leptodactylidae)
,”
J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
116
,
1254
1260
.
23.
Rogers
,
P. H.
, and
Cox
,
M.
(
1988
). “
Underwater sounds as a biological stimulus
,” in
Sensory Biology of Aquatic Animals
, edited by
J.
Atema
,
R. R.
Fay
,
A. N.
Popper
, and
W. N.
Tavolga
(
Springer
,
New York
), pp.
131
149
.
24.
Siegel
,
S.
, and
Castellan
,
N. J.
, Jr.
(
1988
).
Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
(
McGraw-Hill
,
New York
), pp.
1
399
.
25.
Sokal
,
R. R.
, and
Rohlf
,
F. J.
(
1981
).
Biometry
(
Freeman
,
New York
), pp.
1
859
.
26.
Tavolga
,
W. N.
(
1958
). “
The significance of underwater sounds produced by males of the gobiid fish Bathygobius soporator
,”
Physiol. Zool.
31
,
259
271
.
27.
Tavolga
,
W. N.
(
1971
). “
Sound production and detection
,” in
Fish Physiology
, edited by
W. S.
Hoar
and
D. J.
Randall
(
Academic
,
New York
), Vol.
5
, pp.
135
205
.
28.
Torricelli
,
P.
,
Lugli
,
M.
, and
Gandolfi
,
G.
(
1986
). “
A quantitative analysis of the occurrence of visual and acoustic displays during the courtship in the freshwater goby, Padogobius martensi (Gunther, 1861) (Pisces, Gobiidae)
,”
Boll. Zool.
53
,
85
89
.
You do not currently have access to this content.