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."

[My2Cents]

Who do we thank that it was the British and Canadians, and not OUR government, who funded this study?

[WilsonTheDog]

So, that would mean that Bill Clinton is a herring since everything that comes out of his mouth, besides the whore of the moment, is a brain fart.

[eddie willers]

...RED herrings.

I believe these are the Brown variety.

[Consort]

Is that the origin of the term "backtalk" (sASS)?

[RosieCotton]

Ping!

[RosieCotton]

Oops...left a name off.

[SandRat]

ssssssh! Don't tell Al Gore or he'll want to write a new book "Ode to the Oceans or how Herring communications Smells"

[NicknamedBob]

Welcome to Free Republic.

[Corin Stormhands]

I have no idea why you pinged me to this thread.

[kevao]

Then, when you have found the shrubbery, you must cut down the mightiest tree in the forest... with... a herring!

[My2Cents]

I think the folks over at DU aren't herrings at all...they're more like sewer trout.

[GreenLanternCorps]

Well, I guess I'm bilingual!

[No Blue States]

"At night herring squeeze bubbles out of their swimbladders through an anal pore, producing sounds such as "good one"..and "ahh yeah"..and "i didnt do it"

[ancient_geezer]

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

Not to mention global warming.

Save the earth, reduce the number of flatulence emmiters in the oceans, eat more herring :O)

[Hatteras]

"So do 10 year old boys."

So do 42 year old guys on poker weekend at the beach!

[DeFault User]

What kind of google search do you do to come up with a story like this one?

>>Herring flatulence research British<<

[leadpencil1]

Makes it easy to tell who the culprit is if your ever on an elevator with a herring.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Just like liberals.

[El Laton Caliente]

Where was the "Pull My Finger Alert"!

[Hatteras]