Fish Are Not Silent as We Think, But a Whole World of Underwater Signals

Beneath the water’s surface, silence does not reign as one might assume. Fish employ a wide array of communication methods, ranging from sounds and movements to visual and chemical signals, in a world that may be far more crowded with messages than we imagine.

This aspect of marine life is the focus of a new book by author Lorenzo Roca Moreno, presented at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid. The book explores communication systems and notable characteristics in more than 150 species of cartilaginous and bony fish.

The book underwent scientific review by Alfonso López Solano, a researcher specializing in the genetics of endangered fish species.

Here, the term “communication” does not refer solely to vocalization. Some fish rely on body signals, colors, or chemical substances, while others produce sounds associated with mating, warning, or defending their territories.

Scientific literature indicates that hundreds of fish species are known to produce sounds, often linked to specific behaviors. This allows researchers, in some cases, to use these sounds for species identification and monitoring their presence in marine environments.

According to the museum, the book aims to dispel the image of fish as merely “silent” creatures and to draw attention to their great diversity and their fundamental role in marine ecosystems.