Grunts, croaks, snores, and roars
The ocean is a noisy place! It’s full of grunts, croaks, squeaks,
snores, clicks, and roars. Many of these sounds are made by fish.
Some fish are named after the sounds they make. One kind of fish rubs
its teeth together to make a grunting noise. So the fish is called a
grunt.
Another kind of fish makes a croaking noise that sounds like
boop-boop-boop-boop. That fish is called a croaker. And can you guess
what kind of noise is made by the fish called a snorer?
Pollack, haddock, toadfishes, and many other fish also make grunting
noises. They grunt by snapping some of their muscles against a piece of
skin inside their bodies. Sea horses make a clicking noise by hitting a
piece of bone on their heads against a piece of bone on their backs.
Sharks sometimes make a roaring noise. But they aren’t really
roaring—they’re burping! Many sharks swallow air to keep their bodies
up near the top of the water. When they want to go deeper they have to
burp up the air. The burp sounds like a roar.
Noises such as the shark’s roar have no meaning. But some fish noises
seem to mean something. Many of them seem to be made by male fish
calling to female fish. Some of them are made by fish getting ready to
fight. Scientists study fish noises to see if all these grunts, croaks,
and clicks mean anything.
Splendid Toadfish
White Grunts
The grunt gets its name from the grunting noise it makes by rubbing
its teeth together.The toadfish makes a noise by snapping one of its muscles against a
piece of skin.
