During the breeding season of the corvina fish, the Gulf of Mexico resonates with mating calls that scientists describe as a “huge machine gun sound,” which can rupture the eardrums of dolphins and seals.
Recently, American scientists have called for the protection of the corvina fish (commonly known as yellowfin croaker in Vietnam), a species distinctive to the Gulf of Mexico (California), due to its “rare landscape” created each breeding season, which attracts many tourists but could soon disappear.
Corvina fish are heavily caught – (photo: Aburto).
Every spring, this species gathers in the Colorado River delta, north of the Gulf of Mexico, and collectively emits mating calls. Notably, their “love” calls are quite loud, and when a massive school of fish calls out together, people boating in the bay can hear them distinctly. Scientists indicate that it can sometimes rival the sound of a… large machine gun firing.
To study this unique sound, a group of scientists from the University of Texas utilized specialized audio equipment. They discovered that the sound has a distinctive frequency and wavelength, capable of resonating through the hulls of fishing boats and being heard clearly above water (typically, fish mating calls only resonate underwater).
The research team also noticed an interesting detail: many nearby “neighbors” were quite disturbed by the “love” of the corvina school. The noisy sounds produced by the fish even caused some nearby dolphins, seals, and sea lions to become deaf.
However, the corvina population in this area is currently threatened. According to the research group, approximately 2 million individuals are caught each year, significantly outpacing their reproductive rate. Without conservation measures, this legendary love song may fade away from the Gulf of Mexico.
What is Corvina? Corvina, or yellowfin croaker, is a species of fish in the Sciaenidae family, found in the tropical Pacific waters from Central America to South America. This fish species holds economic value and is also used as an ingredient in the dish Ceviche. Each fish can grow up to about one meter long and weigh up to 12 kg. The yellowfin croaker in Mexico makes such loud mating calls that they can potentially deafen other marine animals. During the breeding season, a Gulf corvina’s call resembles that of a large machine gun with rapid rhythms. The frequency of the sounds produced by the yellowfin croaker can adversely affect the hearing of seals, sea lions, and dolphins, even causing them to go deaf. Therefore, encountering sea lions and dolphins foraging near schools of yellowfin croaker is often surprising. |
