Meeting Abstract
Many animals use acoustic signaling as a form of intraspecific communication. The oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau, possess sexually dimorphic sonic muscles surrounding the swim bladder to produce vocalizations, making them an ideal model organism to study bioacoustics. During the breeding season (May – August), male toadfish use boatwhistles to attract females to nests. An in situ hydrophone monitored male toadfish in Eel Pond, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, from mid May through late August, 2015. Call number, duration and fundamental frequency was determined, and correlated with water temperature, intraspecific and environmental noise. Ambient water temperature ranged from 13 – 24°C and male toadfish began producing boatwhistles when temperature reached approximately 15°C in late May. On a seasonal scale, the increase in boatwhistle fundamental frequency (110 – 220 Hz) was directly related to higher water temperatures. However, daily variation in fundamental frequency (5 to 15 Hz) appeared independent of water temperature and suggests that toadfish can control fundamental frequency to remain distinct from conspecifics. Anthropogenic (boat motors) and meteorological (thunder storms) noise appeared to depress calling activity. Acoustic signaling is essential in toadfish mating; these results demonstrate that intraspecific and environmental factors may alter fish acoustic behavior and breeding success. Funding by NSF DBI-1359230 and IOS-1354745 grants.
