Biodiversity 2mn

Damselfish of the same species do not always "flirt" with the same accent

To attract mates, the three-banded damselfish and the reticulated damselfish use different sounds depending on the region where they live.

Regional accents 

A southern accent or a Ch’ti accent? 

With Australian damselfish, it’s much the same story when it comes to courtship. 

Researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), the Centre for Marine Science and Technology (CMST) and Curtin University have used hydrophones and cameras to record the sounds produced by three-banded damselfish (Dascyllus aruanus) and reticulated damselfish (Dascyllus reticulata) during their courtship displays. 

The sounds were recorded on Lizard Island, on the Great Barrier Reef (Pacific Ocean), and at Coral Bay on the Ningaloo coast (Indian Ocean). Scientists found that, for the same species, the pulses emitted were shorter and faster at the first site than at the second. 

Temperature-related differences 

In Coral Bay, the slowest calls were recorded during a prolonged period of high temperatures.

Producing these sounds requires energy from the fish. Environmental stress, such as a heatwave and the resulting thermal stress, can cause the animals to produce slower sounds at a lower rate in order to conserve their energy. 

Dascyllus aruanus

Findings useful for monitoring fish and reef health 

Being able to identify the variations associated with reproduction in the sounds produced by fish improves scientists’ ability to identify species and measure their reproductive success from a distance.

Establishing a link with heatwaves will also enable researchers to monitor the impact of climate change on the reef and its resilience. 

 

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