Do fish have a language and how do they use it?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

Russian speech allows you to interpret the word "language" in different ways - this is both an organ and the ability to verbally transmit information. Despite the silence of the inhabitants of the waters, which has become a household name, the question of whether fish have a language can be answered in the affirmative three times, and each "yes" will correspond to a separate concept from the life of these creatures.

Tongue as part of the body of a fish

For most, this organ is present and is part of the digestive system, and often an assistant in catching future food and one of the many places on the body of the fish where taste buds are located. The size, shape and capabilities of this organ are different, as are the representatives of this group of animals, which includes tens of thousands of species.

However, there are representatives who are deprived of such an evolutionary tool, but they also adapted, found an opportunity to put into practice the functions of the language in a different way. For example, the mudskipper, which often hunts in the air, has carried similar mechanisms fromwater element.

In a typical situation for most fish, the tongue draws in water and food along with it. Coming to land, the fish draws water into its mouth and, seeing the prey, spits out the liquid in parts, and then sucks it back along with the food. And in this case, it is not so important whether the fish have a tongue - photos and video surveillance proved that even in the absence of this part of the body, the fish are not going to remain hungry.

Parasite-language: who settles in the mouth of a fish

In the animal world, there is a unique example of parasitism, when a living creature does not just attach itself to some part of the body of the one it uses, but replaces the functional organ of the victim.

The name given to the opportunist by scientists is Cymothoa exigua. In English, the expressive name tongue-eating louse is common, which literally means tongue-eating woodlice.

Ichthyologists have reliably established eight species of fish that attract parasitic crustaceans, but in fact the figure can be much higher. To enter the body of a fish, the creature uses its gills or climbs directly into the mouth opening, where it uses fourteen claws to fix its position on the base of the tongue. The parasite draws blood from it, which causes the death of this part of the body.

Then, the woodlice attaches to the remaining base of the organ and begins to perform its functions, mainly eating mucus, although it is possible to feed on the blood of fish. Usually, the presence of a parasite does not affect the he alth of the host, only in case of overgrowththe latter to large sizes may be followed by the death of fish due to blocking the access of food to its body.

Each specimen of Cymothoa exigua once finds a home for itself, but two parasites can live in the mouth of a fish at the same time, and even give offspring that will go free swimming to look for their own owner. Such a situation is possible when a young male (and all woodlice eating the tongue initially belong to the male sex and, only having fixed themselves on the body of the fish, change it) looks after a dwelling in which the female has already attached.

Isopods (as these crustaceans are otherwise called) are recognized as practically harmless to humans, but a single case of poisoning by ingestion has been recorded, and there is also a risk of being bitten by a live parasite. Therefore, if you want to check if the fish have a tongue, it is better to be careful when looking into the mouth of your catch.

Can fish communicate?

A separate issue is whether fish have a language that acts as a means of mutual exchange of information. And here "silent" creatures are able to surprise the uninitiated. In addition to the non-verbal means inherent in all living beings (for fish, this is color and its change, body gestures, manner of movement, smells and secrets of the glands), they have a wide range of sound signals that are well audible even to humans and are very different for different species.

For example, the signals of a mullet are similar to the clatter of a horse, the horse mackerel makes sounds characteristic of a dog. Trigla is recognized as the most talkative - she practically does not stop talking, thengrumbling, then croaking.

Studies have shown that all fish speak in their own way. Different species and individuals differ in the degree of talkativeness, like people. However, some of their "speech" is outside the frequency range perceived by the human ear. Basically, underwater inhabitants give each other signals about the threat, the presence of food in a particular place, report their location and direction.

What prevents fish from speaking in the traditional sense with a tongue in their mouth? The absence of other important parts of the speech apparatus, namely, the larynx, pharynx. They also lack vocal cords and moveable lips.

Myths are widespread about the lack of memory in fish, the ability to think and, of course, the inability to make sounds. This gave rise to the allegorical name "fish language" for the system of communication of the deaf and dumb. The veiled content of the statements owes another comparison - "fish language" is sometimes called thieves' jargon.

Solar - a fish named after an organ

The flounder-shaped fish, called Dover halibut, European s alt and, of course, sole for its body shape, has become widely known and popular. A feature of the fish is its upper lip, extended and hanging over the lower one, which makes the whole creature look like a protruding tongue of a mammal.

This creature, which has delicious tender meat, is so in demand and subjected to such a merciless and barbaric capture that since 2014Greenpeace was forced to classify it as endangered.