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."

[shaggy eel]

,,, NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNnnnnnnnnNNNNNNNNNNNNnnn

[Aracelis]

*Chuckle* See, science IS fun!

[PoorMuttly]

Actually...Mr. Limpet talked me into getting into Show Business in the first place.

Of course...he always concealed his specific species...figured it was an acting job...nobody's business...and as long as he kept all the eels off the set...he probably wouldn't be tempted to reply to them in their native language. We did have to ban flatulence during Studio poker games...which was difficult to enforce, believe me.
___________________________________________________________

Oh boy...just got very sad news. Art Carney passed away.

What a terrible loss. Gotta go. Sorry for the break in levity...but trust me..I'LL BE BACK !!!

[Fierce Allegiance]

This is a double JD, for the research and it's results!

[The Scorpion King]

What a gas-tly topic for conversation!

[Amityschild]

Thus, one might surmise that all DU members are also herrings...

And red ones at that...

[OESY]

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.

Yeah, right. Blame it on the fish.

Is it not written, He Who Smelt It, Dealt It?

[RandallFlagg]

Are you and I the only ones that remembered The Knights of Nee?

[reagan_fanatic]

[Chu Gary]

"Is that what I heard from that school of herrings when I was snorkeling?

..coulda sworn it was French."

Well, how DOES a person fart in French?

Is it.......Sheeeeeee Rack? Is it....La Poof? What is it?

[SunkenCiv]

This topic was posted 11/11/2003, thanks Oldeconomybuyer. Sometimes they can't communicate this way because some are hard of herring.

[M Kehoe]

Wow, so do I.

For example, if the First lady pisses me off, I’ll have a jar of kimchi and a twelve pack of Sapporo...

Let it ferment, and pull the covers over her head and let it rip!

5.56mm

[null and void]

So they’re like teen aged boys?

[Flash Bazbeaux]

I think they’ve got it wrong. I think it’s a Fast Aquatic Repetitive Tick.

[Red Badger]

There was a sci fi novel where the aliens communicated this way: