Scientists have found one of the world’s smallest fish that can make a sound as loud as a gunshot. According to a report in The Guardian, Danionella cerebrum measures about the width of a human nail and is found in the streams of Myanmar. The 12-mm transparent fish produces sounds that exceed 140 decibels. Researchers believe the species is the loudest fish for its size yet found. They used a high-speed camera to investigate what mechanism the fish use to produce sound, the outlet further said.
The study about the discovery of the fish has been published in the PNAS journal.
It has been carried out by the scientists at Charite University in Berlin who found that the fish has a unique sound production system, involving a drumming cartilage, specialised rib and fatigue-resistant muscle. The mechanism allows Danionella cerebrum to accelerate the drumming cartilage at extreme forces and generate rapid, loud pulses.
The sound it produces is equal to an ambulance or siren.
“Understanding this extraordinary adaptation expands our knowledge of animal motion and highlights the remarkable diversity of propulsion mechanisms across species, contributing to our broader understanding of evolutionary biology and biomechanics,” the study said.
Though there are species that make loud sounds, what makes Danionella cerebrum special is its transparency, which allows scientists to see the fish’s brain in action and closely observe its behaviour.
The BBC said in a report that while working with these fish in their lab in Germany, the scientists noticed something odd.
“People were just walking past the fish tanks, and they could hear these sounds, and were wondering where they were coming from,” said Verity Cook, the lead author of the study and a PhD Student at Charite University, told the outlet.
“It turned out that they’re coming from the fish themselves. And it’s extraordinary, because they’re so tiny and so loud,” the expert further said.
Much of the sound produced by the fish is reflected back into the water so when humans stand beside the fish tanks, they hear these pulses as a continuous buzzing sound.
The scientists have not established why the fish make such loud sounds but suggested it could help navigate murky waters or be an aggressive tactic used by males to warn off competition.
