Characterization of the Natural Soundscape of Zebrafish and Comparison with the Captive Noise Conditions

Resource type
Authors/contributors
Title
Characterization of the Natural Soundscape of Zebrafish and Comparison with the Captive Noise Conditions
Abstract
Zebrafish is a well-established model organism in hearing research. Although the acoustic environment is known to shape the structure and sensitivity of auditory systems, there is no information on the natural soundscape of this species. Moreover, zebrafish are typically reared in large-scale housing systems (HS), although their acoustic properties and potential effects on hearing remain unknown. We characterized the soundscape of both zebrafish natural habitats and laboratory captive conditions, and discussed possible impact on auditory sensitivity. Sound recordings were conducted in five distinct zebrafish habitats (Southwest India), from quieter stagnant environments with diverse biological/abiotic sounds to louder watercourses characterized by current and moving substrate sounds. Sound pressure level (SPL) varied between 98 and 126 dB re 1 μPa. Sound spectra presented most energy below 3000 Hz and quieter noise windows were found in the noisiest habitats matching the species best hearing range. Contrastingly, recordings from three zebrafish HS revealed higher SPL (122-143 dB) and most energy below 1000 Hz with more spectral peaks, which might cause significant auditory masking. This study establishes an important ground for future research on the adaptation of zebrafish auditory system to the natural soundscapes, and highlights the importance of controlling noise conditions in captivity.
Publication
Zebrafish
Volume
16
Issue
2
Pages
152-164
Date
2019-04
Journal Abbr
Zebrafish
Language
eng
DOI
10.1089/zeb.2018.1654
ISSN
1557-8542
Library Catalog
PubMed
Extra
16 citations (Crossref) [2022-09-21] PMID: 30585776
Citation
Lara, R. A., & Vasconcelos, R. O. (2019). Characterization of the Natural Soundscape of Zebrafish and Comparison with the Captive Noise Conditions. Zebrafish, 16(2), 152–164. https://doi.org/10.1089/zeb.2018.1654
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