The swimbladder of the Lusitanian toadfish: sexual dimorphism and hormonal control

Modesto, Teresa; Canario, Adelino V. M.

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/3142

Use this identifier to reference this record.

Name:	Description:	Size:	Format:
Modesto and Canario_2005_Avances en Endocrinologia Comparada.pdf		1.13 MB	Adobe PDF	Download

Send Feedback

Authors

Modesto, Teresa

Canario, Adelino V. M.

Abstract(s)

The members of the family Batrachoididae produce sounds associated with courtship and agonistic interactions. While long mating calls are only produced by nesting males, agonistic short duration grunts have been recorded from toadfishes and midshipmen in both males (nesting or not) and females. Sound production results from the contraction of paired sonic muscles attached to the walls of the swimbladder, which cause a rapid variation in swimbladder volume and internal pressure. Both sonic muscle growth and sonic fibre morphology have been shown to be androgen sensitive in batrachoidids.