Communication in aquatic animals

Communication occurs when an animal produces a signal and uses it to influences the behaviour of another animal.^[1]^[2] A signal can be any behavioural, structural or physiological trait that has evolved specifically to carry information about the sender and/or the external environment and to stimulate the sensory system of the receiver to change their behaviour.^[1]^[2]^[3] A signal is different from a cue in that cues are informational traits that have not been selected for communication purposes.^[3] For example, if an alerted bird gives a warning call to a predator and causes the predator to give up the hunt, the bird is using the sound as a signal to communicate its awareness to the predator. On the other hand, if a rat forages in the leaves and makes a sound that attracts a predator, the sound itself is a cue and the interaction is not considered a communication attempt.

Air and water have different physical properties which lead to different velocity and clarity of the signal transmission process during communication.^[4] This means that common understanding of communication mechanisms and structures of terrestrial animals cannot be applied to aquatic animals. For example, a horse can sniff the air to detect pheromones but a fish which is surrounded by water will need a different method to detect chemicals.

Aquatic animals can communicate through various signal modalities including visual, auditory, tactile, chemical and electrical signals. Communication using any of these forms requires specialised signal producing and detecting organs. Thus, the structure, distribution and mechanism of these sensory systems vary amongst different classes and species of aquatic animals and they also differ greatly to those of terrestrial animals.

The basic functions of communication in aquatic animals are similar to those of terrestrial animals. In general, communication can be used to facilitate social recognition and aggregation, to locate, attract and evaluate mating partners and to engage in territorial or mating disputes. Different species of aquatic animals can sometimes communicate. Interspecies communication is most common between prey and predator or between animals engaged in mutualistic symbiotic relationships.

^ ^a ^b Ruxton, G.D.; Schaefer, H.M. (December 2011). "Resolving current disagreements and ambiguities in the terminology of animal communication". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 24 (12): 2574–85. doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02386.x. PMID 21902751.
^ ^a ^b Scarantino, A. (2013). "Animal communication as information-mediated influence". In Steggman, U.E. (ed.). Animal Communication Theory: Information and Influence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 63–88. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139003551.005. ISBN 9781139003551.
^ ^a ^b Smith, J.M.; Harper, D. (2003). Animal Signals. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780198526858.
^ Hopkins, C.D. (1988). "Social Communication in the Aquatic Environment". Sensory Biology of Aquatic Animals. New York, NY: Springer. pp. 233–268. doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-3714-3_9. ISBN 978-1-4612-8317-1.

[Ruxton-2011-1] Ruxton, G.D.; Schaefer, H.M. (December 2011). "Resolving current disagreements and ambiguities in the terminology of animal communication". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 24 (12): 2574–85. doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02386.x. PMID 21902751.

[Scarantino-2013-2] Scarantino, A. (2013). "Animal communication as information-mediated influence". In Steggman, U.E. (ed.). Animal Communication Theory: Information and Influence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 63–88. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139003551.005. ISBN 9781139003551.

[Smith-2003-3] Smith, J.M.; Harper, D. (2003). Animal Signals. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780198526858.

[Hopkins-1988-4] Hopkins, C.D. (1988). "Social Communication in the Aquatic Environment". Sensory Biology of Aquatic Animals. New York, NY: Springer. pp. 233–268. doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-3714-3_9. ISBN 978-1-4612-8317-1.

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