Full Description

"They produce a long and tonal sound, the boatwhistle, which is primarily important for female attraction and mate choice in batrachoidids (Gray and Winn, 1961; Winn, 1967; Fish, 1972; McKibben and Bass, 1998; Dos Santos et al., 2000). Besides this long-distance advertising call, the Lusitanian toadfish frequently produces two other shorter sounds (grunt and double-croak), most likely associated with nest defence and agonistic encounters (Dos Santos et al., 2000; Amorim et al., 2006)."

"Grunt train SPL (137·dB) was measured 10·cm from the vocalizing fish."

"The boatwhistle SPL value (140·dB) was determined in the field about 20·cm from the calling animal."

Observation Environment Quotes

"Fish were kept in 250·l tanks for at least 2·weeks before starting the experiments. "

" Boatwhistles were recorded in the field and their SPL values (LLFP, linear frequency weighting, RMS fast time weighting) determined. A hydrophone (High Tech 94 SSQ, Gulfport, MS, USA; frequency range: 30·Hz–6·kHz, ±1·dB, voltage sensitivity: –165·dB re. 1·V/Pa) was placed 20·cm away from the nest site of a vocalizing fish (35.0·cm SL, 1030·g body mass) and the reproductive calls were recorded using a digital portable recorder (Edirol R-4, Roland Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). The SPL values were then determined in the laboratory using the calibrated Brüel and Kjaer equipment (8101 hydrophone, 2804 power supply and sound level meter 2238 Mediator). Grunt trains were recorded in the lab and their SPL values (LLFP) measured from at least 10·sounds per fish. This involved holding four fish (20.9–22.4·cm SL; 230–323·g body mass) underwater inside the experimental tub for auditory evoked potential (AEP) recordings (see next section) and using a DAT recorder (Sony TCD-D100) along with the Brüel and Kjaer equipment."

Behaviour Description Quotes

"They produce a long and tonal sound, the boatwhistle, which is primarily important for female attraction and mate choice in batrachoidids (Gray and Winn, 1961; Winn, 1967; Fish, 1972; McKibben and Bass, 1998; Dos Santos et al., 2000). Besides this long-distance advertising call, the Lusitanian toadfish frequently produces two other shorter sounds (grunt and double-croak), most likely associated with nest defence and agonistic encounters (Dos Santos et al., 2000; Amorim et al., 2006)."

Sound Name Quotes

"They produce a long and tonal sound, the boatwhistle, which is primarily important for female attraction and mate choice in batrachoidids (Gray and Winn, 1961; Winn, 1967; Fish, 1972; McKibben and Bass, 1998; Dos Santos et al., 2000). Besides this long-distance advertising call, the Lusitanian toadfish frequently produces two other shorter sounds (grunt and double-croak), most likely associated with nest defence and agonistic encounters (Dos Santos et al., 2000; Amorim et al., 2006)."

"Grunt train SPL (137·dB) was measured 10·cm from the vocalizing fish."

"The boatwhistle SPL value (140·dB) was determined in the field about 20·cm from the calling animal."