When you think of animals that make sounds, fish probably aren’t the first creatures that come to mind. After all, they don’t have vocal cords like humans, birds, or many animals on the land. Yet beneath the surface, the underwater world is not quiet as we assume it to be.
Fish communicate using an astonishing variety of sounds, be it grunts, clicks, pops, croaks, drumming noises, and even sounds that resemble buzzing. And they do it without vocal cords. So, how are they making these noises?
Many fish use their swim bladder, a gas-filled organ that helps them control their buoyancy. But in some species, it doubles as an effective sound-making device. Certain fish have specialised muscles attached to, or located near, the swim bladder. When these muscles rapidly contract, they make the bladder vibrate. Those vibrations travel through the surrounding water as sound waves. The drumming may be a form of social communication.. The faster the muscles contract, the more rapidly the swim bladder vibrates, producing a distinctive sound. Different fish species have evolved different structures and techniques, which mean their underwater voices can be quite diverse. And according to studies, the bigger the species of fish, the more the sound
But the swim bladder isn’t the only trick fish use. Some species can grind or snap their teeth. Others move their bony skeletal parts and fin joints to create vibrations. Certain fish even produce sounds by rapidly moving parts of their bodies against one another(which is known as stridulation). The reason they make all these noises is to communication.
Fish may use sound to attract mates, defend territory, warn others of danger, establish dominance, or keep track of members of their group. In dark or murky water, where visibility is limited, sound can be especially useful because it can travel farther than visual signals. Certain fish also create noise by releasing gas bubbles from their digestive tracts. And there’s another fascinating detail: humans often don’t hear these underwater conversations at all.
Many fish sounds are subtle, low-frequency, or difficult to detect without specialised hydrophones. Scientists use these underwater microphones to record and study the hidden acoustic world beneath the waves.
So the next time you walk past your fish tank or a lake, and see a silent creature gliding through the water, remember that it may not be silent at all. It might be drumming, clicking, grunting, or buzzing, using an organ designed for buoyancy.
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