Meeting Abstract
The acoustic ecology of marine fishes has traditionally focused on adults, while overlooking the early life history stages. Here we document the first acoustic recordings of pre-settlement stage gray snapper larvae (Lutjanus griseus). Through a combination of in situ and unprovoked laboratory recordings, we found that L. griseus larvae are acoustically active during the night, producing “knock” and “growl” sounds that are spectrally and temporally similar to adults. While the exact function and physiological mechanisms of sound production in fish larvae are unknown, we suggest that these sounds may enable snapper larvae to maintain group cohesion, particularly at night when visual cues are reduced.
