Swim bladder enhances lagenar sensitivity to sound pressure and higher frequencies in female plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus)

Abstract

The plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus) is an established model for investigating acoustic communication because the reproductive success of this species is dependent on the production and reception of social acoustic signals. Previous work showed that female midshipman have swim bladders with rostral horn-like extensions that project close to the saccule and lagena, while nesting (type I) males lack such rostral swim bladder extensions. The relative close proximity of the swim bladder to the lagena should increase auditory sensitivity to sound pressure and higher frequencies. Here, we test the hypothesis that the swim bladder of female midshipman enhances lagenar sensitivity to sound pressure and higher frequencies. Evoked potentials were recorded from auditory hair cell receptors in the lagena in reproductive females with intact (control condition) and removed (treated condition) swim bladders while pure tone stimuli (85–1005 Hz) were presented by an underwater speaker. Females with intact swim bladders had auditory thresholds 3–6 dB lower than females without swim bladders over a range of frequencies from 85 to 405 Hz. At frequencies from 545 to 1005 Hz, only females with intact swim bladders had measurable auditory thresholds (150–153 dB re. 1 µPa). The higher percentage of evoked lagenar potentials recorded in control females at frequencies >505 Hz indicates that the swim bladder extends the bandwidth of detectable frequencies. These findings reveal that the swim bladders in female midshipman can enhance lagenar sensitivity to sound pressure and higher frequencies, which may be important for the detection of behaviorally relevant social signals.

Swim bladder resonance enhances hearing in crucian carp (Carassius auratus)

“…Colleye et al (2019) found that the rostral swim bladder extension in female plainfin midshipman enhanced sound pressure sensitivity and bandwidth in saccule over 305 Hz compared to fishes with a removed swim bladder (Colleye et al, 2019). A similar phenomenon was also observed in female plainfin midshipman (Vetter and Sisneros, 2020). These data suggested that low auditory threshold and wide sensitivity range were related to the presence of swim bladder.…”

“…Using this non-invasive electrophysiological method, the auditory evoked potentials from eighth nerves can be recorded to examine hearing in fish (Ladich and Fay, 2013) and investigate the role of auditory specializations (e.g., swim bladder) in hearing (Shao et al, 2014; Yan et al, 2000). The otolith end organs act as biological accelerometers that allow fish to directly detect particle motion (Vetter and Sisneros, 2020). Swim bladder functions as a pressure-to-particle motion transducer that lowers the hearing threshold and expands the auditory bandwidth (Schulz-Mirbach et al, 2019).…”

“…Swim bladder functions as a pressure-to-particle motion transducer that lowers the hearing threshold and expands the auditory bandwidth (Schulz-Mirbach et al, 2019). The morphological features of the swim bladder and their contribution to hearing have been investigated in previous studies (Colleye et al, 2019;Schulz-Mirbach et al, 2012;Vetter and Sisneros, 2020;Yan et al, (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved.…”

“…Swim bladder functions as a pressure-to-particle motion transducer that lowers the hearing threshold and expands the auditory bandwidth (Schulz-Mirbach et al, 2019). The morphological features of the swim bladder and their contribution to hearing have been investigated in previous studies (Colleye et al, 2019;Schulz-Mirbach et al, 2012;Vetter and Sisneros, 2020;Yan et al, 2000), suggesting the removal of swim bladder resulted in high hearing threshold in plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus). But in oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau), the deflation of swim bladder did not influence hearing sensitivity (Yan et al, 2000).…”

Sound detection by the American lobster (Homarus americanus)

“…sham controls), as is commonly done in fish (e.g. Kupla et al, 2015, Vetter andSisneros, 2020) and insects (Arthur et al, 2010).…”