The world’s tiniest fish can make sounds louder than a hammer drill
Scientists recently made a fascinating discovery regarding one of the tiniest fish in the world. This particular fish, known as the transparent Danionella cerebrum, was only discovered three years ago.
Surprisingly, it has the ability to produce sounds that exceed 140 decibels. To put this into perspective, it is louder than the noise generated by a hammer drill or a jackhammer, and equivalent to the volume of a jet plane taking off.
Sky News reported on this remarkable finding, referencing a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Measuring a mere 12 mm in length, the transparent Danionella cerebrum possesses the smallest brain among all known vertebrates.
The fish’s sound production was initially observed by German scientists who were studying this particular species. Intrigued, they decided to install high-speed cameras in the fish tank to gain a better understanding of this phenomenon. It was discovered that the sound is exclusively produced by male fish.
This occurs when one of their ribs is pulled into their swim bladder, resulting in a distinct “drumming” sound.
Scientists speculate that this sound production is likely associated with aggressive behavior towards other males or mating behavior with females, given that only males are capable of producing these sounds.
