第2297期:Tiny fish as loud as a pneumatic drill

This buzzing, chirping sound is the pulsing chatter of the tiny transparent Danionella cerebrum as heard by the human ear. Researchers in Germany were intrigued by the noise coming from the fish tanks in their lab and decided to investigate the source. Using underwater microphones, they quickly deduced that this species was no small fry when it came to communication.

你听到的这种嗡嗡的叽喳声是一种学名为 “Danionella cerebrum” 的透明小鱼的脉冲声。德国的研究人员们偶然听到了从实验室的鱼缸中发出的噪音，对此很感兴趣，所以决定找出这个噪音的来源。通过利用水下麦克风，研究人员很快就推断出，就交流方式而言，这个鱼类物种绝不可小觑。

This is the slowed down sound booming out like a heartbeat. The fish uses its muscles to strike its own swim bladder to produce a short loud sonic pulse. In the waters close to the fish, it taps out 140 decibels, which is as loud as a gunshot.

这段经调慢处理后的音频播放的是这种透明小鱼发出的像心跳一样低沉有力的声音。它们牵动自身肌肉冲击体内的鱼鳔，从而发出一个短暂而响亮的声波脉冲。在靠近这种透明小鱼的水域内，可以探测到它们发出高达 140 分贝的声音，如枪声一样响亮。

Researchers believe this quirky communication behaviour evolved in the murky streams in Myanmar, where the fish lives. Other fish, including the Plainfin Midshipman, and the Black Drum are louder, but also much bigger creatures.

研究人员们认为这种奇特的交流行为是在缅甸浑浊的溪流中进化得来的，那里是它们的栖息地。其它鱼类，包括斑光蟾鱼和多须石首鱼发出的声音更响亮，但它们的体型也更大。

词汇表

buzzing 发出嗡嗡声
chirping 发出叽喳声
pulsing 脉冲的
intrigued 使人感兴趣的
small fry 无足轻重的人或事物
swim bladder 鱼鳔
quirky 古怪的，奇特的
murky 浑浊的，昏暗的