Noise-induced masking of hearing in a labyrinth fish: effects on sound detection in croaking gouramis
An increasing level of anthropogenic underwater noise (shipping, drilling, sonar use, etc.) impairs acoustic orientation and communication in fish by hindering signal transmission or detection. Different noise regimes can reduce the ability to detect sounds of conspecifics due to an upward shift of...
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PeerJ Inc.
2022-11-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/14230.pdf |
| _version_ | 1827605462511517696 |
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| author | Isabelle Pia Maiditsch Friedrich Ladich |
| author_facet | Isabelle Pia Maiditsch Friedrich Ladich |
| author_sort | Isabelle Pia Maiditsch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An increasing level of anthropogenic underwater noise (shipping, drilling, sonar use, etc.) impairs acoustic orientation and communication in fish by hindering signal transmission or detection. Different noise regimes can reduce the ability to detect sounds of conspecifics due to an upward shift of the hearing threshold, a phenomenon termed masking. We therefore investigated the masking effect of white noise on the auditory thresholds in female croaking gouramis (Trichopsis vittata, Osphronemidae). We hypothesized that noise would influence the detection of conspecific vocalizations and thus acoustic communication. The auditory evoked potentials (AEP) thresholds were measured at six different frequencies between 0.1 and 4 kHz using the AEP recording technique. Sound pressure level audiograms were determined under quiet laboratory conditions (no noise) and continuous white noise of 110 dB RMS. Thresholds increased in the presence of white noise at all tested frequencies by 12–18 dB, in particular at 1.5 kHz. Moreover, hearing curves were compared to spectra of conspecific sounds to assess sound detection in the presence of noise in various contexts. We showed that masking hinders the detection of conspecific sounds, which have main energies between 1.0 and 1.5 kHz. We predict that this will particularly affect hearing of female’s low-intensity purring sounds during mating. Accordingly, noise will negatively affect acoustic communication and most likely reproductive success. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:22:01Z |
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| id | doaj.art-8e9e7e23a7b74ceb8242ee918a247063 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:22:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-8e9e7e23a7b74ceb8242ee918a2470632023-12-03T11:36:21ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592022-11-0110e1423010.7717/peerj.14230Noise-induced masking of hearing in a labyrinth fish: effects on sound detection in croaking gouramisIsabelle Pia Maiditsch0Friedrich Ladich1Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaAn increasing level of anthropogenic underwater noise (shipping, drilling, sonar use, etc.) impairs acoustic orientation and communication in fish by hindering signal transmission or detection. Different noise regimes can reduce the ability to detect sounds of conspecifics due to an upward shift of the hearing threshold, a phenomenon termed masking. We therefore investigated the masking effect of white noise on the auditory thresholds in female croaking gouramis (Trichopsis vittata, Osphronemidae). We hypothesized that noise would influence the detection of conspecific vocalizations and thus acoustic communication. The auditory evoked potentials (AEP) thresholds were measured at six different frequencies between 0.1 and 4 kHz using the AEP recording technique. Sound pressure level audiograms were determined under quiet laboratory conditions (no noise) and continuous white noise of 110 dB RMS. Thresholds increased in the presence of white noise at all tested frequencies by 12–18 dB, in particular at 1.5 kHz. Moreover, hearing curves were compared to spectra of conspecific sounds to assess sound detection in the presence of noise in various contexts. We showed that masking hinders the detection of conspecific sounds, which have main energies between 1.0 and 1.5 kHz. We predict that this will particularly affect hearing of female’s low-intensity purring sounds during mating. Accordingly, noise will negatively affect acoustic communication and most likely reproductive success.https://peerj.com/articles/14230.pdfVocalizing fishWhite noiseAuditory evoked potentials (AEP)Hearing thresholdsMasking effect |
| spellingShingle | Isabelle Pia Maiditsch Friedrich Ladich Noise-induced masking of hearing in a labyrinth fish: effects on sound detection in croaking gouramis PeerJ Vocalizing fish White noise Auditory evoked potentials (AEP) Hearing thresholds Masking effect |
| title | Noise-induced masking of hearing in a labyrinth fish: effects on sound detection in croaking gouramis |
| title_full | Noise-induced masking of hearing in a labyrinth fish: effects on sound detection in croaking gouramis |
| title_fullStr | Noise-induced masking of hearing in a labyrinth fish: effects on sound detection in croaking gouramis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Noise-induced masking of hearing in a labyrinth fish: effects on sound detection in croaking gouramis |
| title_short | Noise-induced masking of hearing in a labyrinth fish: effects on sound detection in croaking gouramis |
| title_sort | noise induced masking of hearing in a labyrinth fish effects on sound detection in croaking gouramis |
| topic | Vocalizing fish White noise Auditory evoked potentials (AEP) Hearing thresholds Masking effect |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/14230.pdf |
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