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Abstract(s)
The acoustic repertoire of captive grey gurnard Eutrigla gurnardus during competitive feeding
consisted of three types of sound: knocks, grunts and growls. Knocks were audible as a single
sound, whereas grunts and growls were perceived as longer, pulsed sounds to the human ear.
Typically, knocks were composed of 1–2 pulses, grunts of 4–8 pulses and growls >10 pulses.
Growls were longer and had shorter pulse periods than grunts. All sound types had peak
frequencies of c. 500 Hz. The sequences of behaviours observed during feeding interactions
suggest that grey gurnard obtain food both by scramble and contest tactics. Competing fish
emitted knocks mainly while grasping a food item and also during other non-agonistic behaviour,
suggesting that knock production may reflect a state of feeding arousal but could also
serve as a warning of the forager’s presence to nearby competitors. Grunts were mainly emitted
during frontal displays, which were the most frequent behavioural act preceding grasps,
suggesting that they may play a role in deterring other fish from gaining access to disputed
food items.
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Citation
Journal of Fish Biology, 65, 182-194