The challenge of understanding the language of animals
Understanding animals is one of the biggest challenges in modern science. For many years, researchers have been trying to decipher the sounds that different animal species have.
The sounds come from several red grooms (Epinephus Guttatus), a kind of fish that lives in tropical and subtropical coral reefs, especially in the Caribbean and the West Atlantic.
Males emit two types of grunts
The recordings were carried out over a period of 12 years, after a research team led by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute of Florida Atlantic University deployed off the west coast of Puerto Rico the passive acoustic surveillance system in 2007, which presented no disturbance for the local population, according to Popular Science.
In a study published on August 14, 2025 in the journal Journal of Marine Science de l'Iices, Researchers explain that they have discovered that male red grooms emit two types of growls to their neighbors. One is used for the nuptial parade, the other to defend its territory.
“Thanks to the Fadar, we treated 12 years of acoustic data in a few weeks, revealing patterns that would have taken years to identify”said in a statement Laurent Chérubin, co-author of the study.
An advance which will allow better understanding of the evolution of fish populations
The study also made it possible to better understand the evolution of fish populations thanks to the decryption of the various sounds. Indeed, the research team noticed that between 2011 and 2017, the fish mostly emit grunts linked to the nuptial parade.
However, the trend began to be reversed from 2018, with sounds related to the warning and defense of territory which almost tripled during the study period.
“This change could indicate changes within the population, such as an increase in the number of older or more dominant males, changes in the gender relationship, or even a displacement of the main reproductive zone”, said Laurent Chérubin.
The passive surveillance system developed by the team could soon help managers better preserve the marine circles and promote sustainable fishing, listening to animals without disturbing them, the researchers say.
Source: Popular Science
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