Small Fish Can Make Noise as Loud as a Firecracker, Study Finds

Scientists in Berlin have discovered that a small, transparent fish can make a sound as loud as a firecracker.

The Danionella cerebrum fish, a small vertebrate measuring just under 12 mm, was found to produce sounds over 140 decibels – equivalent to a firecracker, firework, or a hammer pounding a nail, according to the US Hearing Center of Excellence.

The scientists said the fish possessed “a unique sound production apparatus – involving a drumming cartilage, specialized rib, and fatigue-resistant muscle – which allows the fish to accelerate the drumming cartilage at extreme forces and generate rapid, loud pulses.” Credit: © Charite | Jorg Henninger via Storyful

Video transcript

[NO SPEECH]