Herrings converse via flatulence, researchers find

Agence France-Presse (AFP) ^ | 11-11-03

[Oldeconomybuyer]

PARIS, Nov 11 (AFP) - Herrings appear to be sociable fish who like to communicate among themselves and use their natural flatulence to do so, a team of British and Canadian researchers has reported.

A report in the British review Biology Letters describes how the researchers studied the sounds produced by two kinds of captive, wild-caught herring.

"At night herring squeeze bubbles out of their swimbladders through an anal pore, producing sounds not unlike people blowing raspberries," the team of three recounts.

The Pacific species (Clupea pallasii) were found to emit distinctive bursts of pulses, known as fast repetitive tick (FRT) sounds, mostly at night, lasting between 0.6 seconds and 7.6 seconds in the 1.7 to 22 kilohertz bands.

"Digested gas and gulped air transfer to the swim bladder ... do not appear to be responsible for FRT sound generation," the report said.

It was the same story with Clupea pallasii's Atlantic cousin, Clupea harengus.

"Atlantic herring also produce FRT sounds and video analysis showed an association with bubble expulsion from the anal duct region (i.e. from the gut or swim bladder," the researchers found.

"The functions of these sounds are unknown but as the per capita rates of sound production by fish at higher densities were greater, social mediation appears likely.

"These sounds may have consequences for our understanding of herring behaviour and the effects of noise pollution."

[Treebeard]

Thus, one might surmise that all DU members are also herrings...

[SandRat]

Herrings appear to be sociable fish who like to communicate among themselves and use their natural flatulence to do so, ...

What's so unique about that Frat Boys have been doing that for years.

[M. Peach]

You are going to post this without a comment?

[The_Victor]

fast repetitive tick (FRT)

What an acronym for gas expulsion! LOL!

Is this a government research grant? Please tell me this is a joke...

[The_Victor]

fast repetitive tick (FRT)

What an acronym for gas expulsion! LOL!

Is this a government research grant? Please tell me this is a joke...

[Servant of the 9]

So do 10 year old boys.

So9

[Alouette]

I will never eat shmaltz herring again.

[NicknamedBob]

"...producing sounds not unlike people blowing raspberries..."

Isn't this what a lot of our college students learn in their 'schools'?

[headsonpikes]

Like the Democratic Congressional Caucus!

[Oldeconomybuyer]

You are going to post this without a comment?

All in the name of science. ;-)

[Agnes Heep]

So do rednecks.

[My2Cents]

...RED herrings.

[jwalsh07]

This must be a red herring.

signed,

Harley Herring

[My2Cents]

...Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water...

[Chummy]

Is that what I heard from that school of herrings when I was snorkeling?

..coulda sworn it was French.

[eddie willers]

fast repetitive tick (FRT)

How could they resist Fast And Repetitive Tick (FART)?

[scooter2]

ROTFLMAO

[Mr. Mojo]

"How about some more beans, Mr. Taggert?"

"I'd say you've had enough!"

[NicknamedBob]

"...distinctive bursts of pulses, known as fast repetitive tick (FRT) sounds..."

Actually, the acronym used to be Fast Acoustically-Repetitive Tick, but...