Summary
The auditory sensitivity in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) was measured using an acoustic tube producing sound stimuli with different ratios between sound pressure and particle motion. The upper audible frequency limit in the eel was about 300 Hz. At low frequencies the relevant stimulus parameter was particle motion, excluding involvement of the swimbladder. At the higher frequencies within the audible range the swimbladder conveyed an auditory advantage for stimuli with a high ratio between pressure and particle motion. The eel has an extremely long distance between the swimbladder and the ear. An auditory function of the swimbladder in this species therefore indicates an efficient transmission channel for the reradiated swimbladder pulsations between the bladder and the ear, although specialized anatomical adaptations for this purpose are lacking.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bull HO (1928) Studies on conditioned responses in fishes. Part I. J Mar Biol Ass UK 15:485–533
Chapman CJ, Hawkins AD (1973) A field study of hearing in the cod,Gadus morhua L. J Comp Physiol 85:147–167
Chapman CJ, Sand O (1974) Field studies of hearing in two species of flatfishPleuronectes platessa (L.) andLimanda limanda (L.) (Family Pleuronectidae). Comp Biochem Physiol 47A: 371–385
Denton EJ, Gray JAB (1982) The rigidity of fish and patterns of lateral line stimulation. Nature 297:679–681
Diesselhorst G (1938) Hörversuche an Fischen ohne Weberschen Apparat. Z Vergl Physiol 25:748–783
Dixon WJ (1965) The up-and-down method for small samples. J Am Statist Assoc 60:967–978
Griffin DR (1950) Underwater sounds and the orientation of marine animals. Tech Rep no 3, US Naval Res:1–26
Hawkins AD, MacLennan DN (1976) An acoustic tank for hearing studies in fish. In: Schuijf A, Hawkins AD (eds) Sound reception in fishes. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 149–169
Parvulescu A (1967) The acoustics of small tanks. In: Tavolga WN (ed) Marine bio-acoustics, vol 2. Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp 7–13
Poggendorf D (1952) Die absoluten Hörschwellen des Zwergwelses (Amiurus nebulosus) und Beiträge zur Physik des Weberschen Apparates der Ostariophysen. Z Vergl Physiol 34:222–257
Sand O (1981) The lateral line and sound reception. In: Tavolga WN, Popper AN, Fay RR (eds) Hearing and sound communication in fishes. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 459–480
Sand O, Enger PS (1973a) Function of the swimbladder in fish hearing. In: Møller AR (ed) Basic mechanisms in hearing. Academic Press, New York, pp 893–910
Sand O, Enger PS (1973b) Evidence for an auditory function of the swimbladder in the cod. J Exp Biol 59:405–414
Sand O, Hawkins AD (1973) Acoustic properties of the cod swimbladder. J Exp Biol 58:797–820
Sand O, Karlsen HE (1986) Detection of infrasound by the atlantic cod. J Exp Biol 125:197–204
Schuijf A (1976) The phase model of directional hearing in fish. In: Schuijf A, Hawkins AD (eds) Sound reception in fishes. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 63–86
Štěpánek M (1968) Beiträge zur Bioakustik der Binnengewässer. Arch Hydrobiol [Suppl] 33:397–422
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jerkø, H., Turunen-Rise, I., Enger, P.S. et al. Hearing in the eel (Anguilla anguilla). J. Comp. Physiol. 165, 455–459 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00611234
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00611234