Abstract
Clupeoid fish such as Clupea harengus (herring) and Sprattus sprattus (sprat) live in schools. Such schools change direction repeatedly and suddenly. Although the distance between the fish in the schools is small the fish never seem to collide in the course of fast maneuvers in tight formation, and it seems likely that the acousticolateralis system plays a role (see Partridge, Chapter 26). Another feature of the behavior of many clupeid species is that they migrate between the surface and quite considerable depths; herring may migrate as much as 200 m, which is equivalent to a change of 20 atm in pressure Such a change means that any gas used as a pressure-displacement converter in the auditory system could be reduced to 1/20 of its surface volume during each migration unless there are special adaptations. We have used a number of techniques to study acousticolateralis systems in larval and juvenile herring and sprat. This account considers: first, behavioral experiments because these can indicate some of the requirements for sensory information which the acousticolateralis must supply; second, the mechanics of the liquid flow in the system and of the adaptation to change in depth; third, the detailed structure of the utriculus and the coupling of its sense organs to the auditory bulla; and finally, the electrical mass responses of the utricular receptors to a variety of pressure stimuli.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Allen, J. M., Blaxter, J. H. S., Denton, E. J.: The functional anatomy and development of the swimbladder-inner ear-lateral line system in herring and sprat. J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. U.K. 56, 471–486 (1976).
Best, A. C. G., Gray, J. A. B.: Morphology of the utricular recess in the sprat. J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. U.K. 60, 703–715 (1980).
Blaxter, J. H. S., Denton, E. J.: Function of the swimbladder-inner ear-lateral line system of herring in the young stages. J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. U.K. 56, 487–502 (1976).
Blaxter, J. H. S., Denton, E. J., Gray, J. A. B.: The herring swimbladder as a gas reservoir for the acoustico-lateralis system. J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. U.K. 59, 1–10 (1979).
Denton, E. J., Blaxter, J. H. S.: The mechanical relationships between the clupeid swimbladder, inner ear and lateral line. J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. U.K. 56, 787–807 (1976)
Denton, E. J., Gray, J. A. B.: The analysis of sound by the sprat ear. Nature 282, 406–407 (1979).
Denton, E. J., Gray, J. A. B.: Receptor activity in the utriculus of the sprat. J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. U.K. 60, 717–740 (1980).
Denton, E. J., Gray, J. A. B., Blaxter, J. H. S.: The mechanics of the clupeid acousticolateralis system: Frequency responses. J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. U.K. 59, 27–47 (1979).
Enger, P. S.: Hearing in herring. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 22, 527–538 (1967).
Fay, R. R.: Sound detection and sensory coding by the auditory systems of fishes. In: The Behavior of Fish and Other Aquatic Animals. Mostofsky, D. I. (ed.). New York: Academic Press, 1978, pp. 197–231.
Fettiplace, R., Crawford, A. C.: The coding of sound pressure and frequency in cochlear hair cells of the terrapin. Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. B 203, 209–218 (1978).
Flock, Å.: Electron microscopic and electrophysiological studies on the lateral line canal organ. Acta Otolaryngol. Suppl. 199, 1–90 (1965).
Gray, J. A. B., Denton, E. J.: The mechanics of the clupeid acoustico-lateralis system: Low frequency measurements. J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. U.K. 59, 11–26 (1979).
Helmholtz, H. L. F.: On the Sensations of Tone as a Physiological Basis for the Theory of Music, 2nd English ed. New York: Dover (1877).
Johnstone, B. M.: General discussion. In: Hearing Mechanisms in Vertebrates, de Reuck, A. V. S., Knight, J. (eds.). London: Churchill, 1968.
Lowenstein, O., Wersäll, J.: A functional interpretation of the electron-microscopic structure of the sensory hairs of the cristae of the elasmobranch Raja clavata in terms of directional sensitivity. Nature 184, 1807–1808 (1959).
Olsen, K.: Evidence for localization of sound by fish in schools. In: Sound Reception in Fish. Schuijf, A., Hawkins, A. D. (eds.). Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1976, pp. 257–270.
Pippard, A. B.: The Physics of Vibration, Vol. 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1978.
Popper, A. N., Platt, C.: The herring ear has a unique receptor pattern. Nature 280, 832–833 (1979).
Russell, I. J., Sellick, P. M.: Intracellular studies of hair-cells in the mammalian cochlea. J. Physiol. 284, 261–290 (1978).
Schuijf, A.: The phase model of directional hearing in fish. In: Sound Reception in Fish. Schuijf, A., Hawkins, A. D. (eds.). Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1976, pp. 63–86.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1981 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
About this paper
Cite this paper
Blaxter, J.H.S., Denton, E.J., Gray, J.A.B. (1981). Acousticolateralis System in Clupeid Fishes. In: Tavolga, W.N., Popper, A.N., Fay, R.R. (eds) Hearing and Sound Communication in Fishes. Proceedings in Life Sciences. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-7186-5_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-7186-5_2
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4615-7188-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-7186-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive