How Shrimp Communicate
Animals communicate in a number of different ways. Some species use a gesture or body language, while others depend on vocalizations such as calls or songs. Until recently little has been known about how the critters that dwell the ocean floor communicate. In order to learn more about communication in the deep sea, scientists examined the behavior of the 8-inch long mantis shrimp.
Scientists were able to examine communication between the shrimp using a coupled audio-video system, a hydrophone array, and an autonomous recording unit. They found that male shrimp create rhythmic rumbles in groups of three. These rumbles are used to help attract females to their burrows or to defend their territories against neighboring males. The rumbles recorded on the ocean floor differ from those recorded in a tank. The researchers stated that the rumbles were synchronized in a chorus similar to a group birds singing together or frogs croaking together.
I think it’s amazing that the technology we have today allows us to examine communication in the deep sea. I think the mantis shrimp give us a good insight on the origins of communication. The shrimp reinforce the theme that the meaning of a particular signal (three rumbles) depends on the context. I also believe that the shrimp may be able to give us insight on how group communication arose in birds in frogs. Perhaps there is a certain neuronal pathway to be identified responsible for promoting group synchronized communication. I think there is much more about animal communication we can learn from this tiny creature at the bottom of the sea.
Sources http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Posted by Nick Gast (4)
Technology sculpted for studying animal communication really has come a long way. It started off barely able to record the 2-10kHz and relatively powerful songs of various birds, and now it's able to record the minute rumbles of an 8-inch animal through the medium of water. The phylogenetic origins of this shrimp, however, might not be connected to birds and frogs and further evolutionary analysis has to be looked into before connecting this species with species such as birds and frogs.
ReplyDeletePosted by Michael Shi
I would also agree that it is quite amazing what technology has evolved to. It has allowed us – like you said – examine communications in the deep sea, where if we tried to access it by diving we would be crushed by the immense pressure at the ocean bed. Does the article say how the scientists managed to bring the shrimps to the surface alive and then study their communication? I know that for a lot of studies that scientists try to do on these deep-sea creatures, the creatures die because of the difference in air pressure. Perhaps the difference in pressure is also why the rumbles differ in the tank as compared to the ones on the ocean floor. And I find it really curious that these shrimps are able to communicate in a chorus; did the scientists provide a theory for it?
ReplyDeletePosted by James Lin
I've always considered there to be a certain amount of unfathomability when it comes to humans understanding the workings of certain animal minds. While understanding certain closer relatives, such as chimps, orangutans, even dogs and cats, is possible, even easy, understanding insect communication has always baffled me. It is a matter of understanding thought processes within animals that may think in completely different ways; it is the concept of "umwelt" given form.
ReplyDeletePosted by Jacob Lane
This reminds me of the video that we watched in class that sowed how catipillars communicated aggression. It is interesting to learn that such small animals like shrimp and catipillars have fromed basic means of communication. this shows how vital communication is to life, even of small, less developed life forms. Communication seems to play a very important role in finding a mate and telling other animals about the territory that the sendor has claimed. It is very interesting to see the importance of communication is relevant in many species.
ReplyDeletePosted By Noelle Kellicker
Why are the rumbles different in the ocean and tank? Is it just the confined space of the tank that changed the sound mechanics of the rumble or did the shrimp change their rumbles because they sensed a difference? This is pretty cool and it makes me wonder how other organisms in the same family communicate. Do lobsters use rumblings too do they use their claws to make noises? Its always interesting to find out how complicated organisms that we rarely think about are.
ReplyDeletePosted by Suzanne Sullivan
This article helps show how communication maybe one of the most significant aspects of life that we usually take for granted. Being human, we take advantage on how easy it is to communicate with one another. If we want something, we can ask someone to assist easily to get it with not problems. Animals like the shrimp who have to use rumblings make it seem so much harder because there is a greater chance of the message being communicated incorrectly. I think it's fascinating how to receive information has changed , and how evolution made it harder for the info to get distorted.
ReplyDeleteposted by Jobin Oommen
I really enjoyed this post. You mentioned how far technology has come so that we can detect what was previously undetectable. This raises the question of whether we will soon detect a sense through which other organisms communicate that we have not seen before. Just an interesting thought.
ReplyDeletePosted by Michael Thomas
Being a sea critter, I feel like they are a good place to look to if you're trying to determine the route of evolution in developing such similar modes of communication. Though it is more likely that this is a case of convergent evolution than of one lineage splitting and developing, It would still be interesting to look into the origins of the synchronized songs in all of these animals.
ReplyDeleteRhys Ursuliak
This was a great post. I feel as though animal communication has only slightly been discovered. It is great that researchers are starting to learn more about sea creatures, which is much more difficult than the animals we can observe here on land. I feel that there are many modules of communication that humans may not have figured out in the ocean, since we do not have the ability to stay under water for a long length of time, and the depth that we can cover is limited. I am very interested in learning about new discoveries of communication in the ocean and new technological advances that allow us to go under and do this.
ReplyDeletePosted by Abbie Saranteas
In response to the first post:
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree technology has come a long way in that we can study species such as the mantis shrimp. We were previously incapable of studying the shrimp because of the barrier that water and distance creates. I do see your point that it is a stretch to say that there is a phylogenetic relationship among shrimp with birds and frogs. Though I definitely believe that the behavior exhibited in which both groups of species sing in chorus should not be overlooked. Perhaps if further evolutionary analysis was done we would find some neuronal pathway in both groups that accounts for this specific behavior of communicating in chorus.
last comment posted by Nick Gast
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that the article cited doesn't mention how the sound is produced by the shrimp. It would be interesting to determine that, as it may clarify why the calls limited to only three rumbles, and why it varies in different environments (tank vs ocean).
ReplyDeleteBy Joseph Needleman
I have always been interested in these creatures ever since I read a couple years ago that they have one of the fastest movements of all animals. It is known as a "punch" and is meant to stun or kill their prey or predators that may be looking for dinner. The claw swings so fast that the fish in the way will feel the initial strike at about 23 m/s if they manage to hit it. If not, the resulting shockwave created in the water has a much greater area and usually finishes the job.
ReplyDeletePosted by Jacob Lafauce