Skip to main content
Log in

Sound production by the sheepshead minnow, Cyprinodon variegatus

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Environmental Biology of Fishes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Sound production in reproductively active sheepshead minnows, Cyprinodon variegatus, is documented. Male sheepshead minnows produced acoustic signals in seven behavioral contexts including: patrolling the territory, chasing, hovering on the territory, courting, fighting, spawning, and during the startle response. Fifty eight percent of the calls contained one or two pulses and 44% of the calls were greater than three pulses. With the exception of differences in frequency the structure and behavioral contexts of C. Variegatus calls is similar to the calls of C. bifasciatus.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

References

  • Akamatsu T, Okumura T, Novarini N, Yan H (2002) Empirical refinements applicable to the recording of fish sounds in small tanks. J Acoust Soc Am 112(6):3073–3082

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Echelle AE, Carson EW, Echelle AF, Van Den Bussche RA, Dowling TE, Meyer A (2005) Historical biogeography of the new-world pupfish genus Cyprinodon (Teleostei: Cyprinodontidae). Copeia 2005:320–339

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fine ML, Winn HE, Olla BL (1977) Communication in fishes. In: Sebeok TA (ed) How animals communicate. Indiana University Press, Bloomington

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins AD (1993) Underwater sound and fish behavior. In: Pitcher TJ (ed) The behavior of teleost fishes. Chapman and Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson DL (2000) Sound production in Cyprinodon bifasciatus (Cyprinodontiformes). Environ Biol Fish 59(3):341–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston CE Johnson DL (2000) Sound production during the spawning season in cavity-nesting darters of the subgenus Catonotus (Percidae: Etheostoma). Copeia 2000:475–481

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kodric-Brown A (1983) Determinants of male reproductive success in pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis). Anim Behav 31:128–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kodric-Brown A (1986) Satellites and sneakers: opportunistic male breeding tactics in pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 19(6):425–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mann DA, Lobel PS (1997) Propagation of damselfish (Pomacentridae) courtship sounds. J. Acoust Soc Am 110(6):3783–3791

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minckely WL (2003) Desert Fishes Council Cyprinodon bifasciatus twolined pupfish/cachorrito de Cuatro Cienegas. http://www.desertfishes.org. Cited 9 December 2003

  • Page LM, Burr BM (1991) Freshwater fishes. Houghton Mifflin, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenfield JA, Nolasco S, Lindauer S, Sandoval C, Kodric-Brown A (2004) The role of hybrid vigor in the replacement of Pecos pupfish by its hybrids with sheepshead minnow. Conserv Biol 18(6):1589–1598

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenfield JA, Kodric-Brown A (2003) Sexual selection promotes hybridization between Pecos pupfish Cyprinodon pecosensis,and sheepshead minnow, C. variegatus. J Evol Biol 16:595–606

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilde GR, Echelle AA (1997) Morphological variation in intergrade pupfish populations from the Pecos River. J Fish Biol 50:523–539

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Astrid Kodric-Brown, Michael Fine, Richard Harrel, and Randall Terry for their constructive comments on the manuscript. This research was supported by A Lamar University Development grant, Lamar University Research Enhancement grant and the Biology department at Lamar University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul F. Nicoletto.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nicoletto, P.F., Linscomb, S.H. Sound production by the sheepshead minnow, Cyprinodon variegatus . Environ Biol Fish 81, 15–20 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-007-9189-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-007-9189-6

Keywords

Navigation