Functional Aspects of the Evolution of the Auditory System of Actinopterygian Fish

Abstract

There are many interspecific differences in the structure of the auditory system among the more than 25,000 extant species of actinopterygian fishes. These differences include: (a) structural variation in the regions of the inner ear associated with sound detection (based on studies of species in 65 genera) (e.g., Piatt and Popper 1981; Popper and Coombs 1982; Popper 1983); (b) differences in hearing capabilities (behavioral data from species representing 45 genera) (Fay 1988a); and (c) variation in physiological response properties of the ear (albeit, with data from species representing only 10 genera) (e.g., Fay and Popper 1983). Beyond these differences, there is significant variation in structures more peripheral to the ear (e.g., swimbladder, Weberian ossicles) (Popper and Coombs 1982), and possibly in central pathways although data on the central auditory pathways of fishes are limited in scope (McCormick 1981, Chapter 17).