One of world’s smallest fish found to make sound as loud as a gunshot • Hacker News Board

Re: One of world’s smallest fish found to make sound as loud as a gunshot

#21

Post by WhitneyLand » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 5:25 PM UTC

Seems like very misleading science reporting. It relies on the wow factor of a 12mm fish producing a sound as loud as what many people would associate with a jet engine (>140db).

- Sound levels are usually assumed to be measured 1m away. For the fish, it’s measured one body length away (inverse square law applies)

- Jet engines are often measured from many meters away (again inverse square law)

- The fish’s sound is pulsed and lasts only 2.5ms, while jet engine noise is continuous.

- The frequency emitted by the fish “exceeds 20kHz”. The frequency range of a jet engine spans almost the entire range of human hearing.

- Standing next to one might startle you a bit, the other will irreversibly damage you.

Re: One of world’s smallest fish found to make sound as loud as a gunshot

#22

Post by heroku » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 5:36 PM UTC

dang wrote: post #31

[stub for offtopicness]

evolution is a lie this proves.

Re: One of world’s smallest fish found to make sound as loud as a gunshot

#23

Post by decafninja » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 5:57 PM UTC

garyclarke27 wrote: post #14

Mantis Shrimp can punch as hard as a bullet, can break aquarium glass and can create a cavitation bubble hotter than the sun.

It’s a biological plasma cannon

Re: One of world’s smallest fish found to make sound as loud as a gunshot

#24

Post by kdfjgbdfkjgb » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 5:57 PM UTC

"produces sounds that exceed 140 decibels" is a nonsense statement. They probably meant dBSPL.

Re: One of world’s smallest fish found to make sound as loud as a gunshot

#25

Post by HeyLaughingBoy » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 5:57 PM UTC

garyclarke27 wrote: post #14

Mantis Shrimp can punch as hard as a bullet, can break aquarium glass and can create a cavitation bubble hotter than the sun.

I only knew that I had one in my tank because I would hear the loud "crack" at night. Luckily it was the shrimp making the noise, not the glass breaking.

Months later when I drained the tank to move into a new house, and removed all the live rock I found it dead at the bottom. Amazing that such a tiny thing can make so much noise.

Re: One of world’s smallest fish found to make sound as loud as a gunshot

#26

Post by agilob » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 6:32 PM UTC

dang wrote: post #31

[stub for offtopicness]

Ok, but what if we feed the fish 500 l of jet fuel?

Re: One of world’s smallest fish found to make sound as loud as a gunshot

#27

Post by mewpmewp2 » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 7:06 PM UTC

agilob wrote: post #26

dang wrote: post #31

[stub for offtopicness]

Ok, but what if we feed the fish 500 l of jet fuel?

Jet fuel can't melt fish scales.

Re: One of world’s smallest fish found to make sound as loud as a gunshot

#28

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 7:07 PM UTC

WhitneyLand wrote: post #21

Seems like very misleading science reporting. It relies on the wow factor of a 12mm fish producing a sound as loud as what many people would associate with a jet engine (>140db). - Sound levels are usually assumed to be measured 1m away. For the fish, it’s measured one body length away (inverse square law applies) - Jet engines are often measured from many meters away (again inverse square law) - The fish’s sound is…

[deleted]

Re: One of world’s smallest fish found to make sound as loud as a gunshot

#29

Post by paulrpotts » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 7:27 PM UTC

It’s always disappointing to me when articles describing a sound don’t include an audio clip. Someone must have a hydrophone recording!

Re: One of world’s smallest fish found to make sound as loud as a gunshot

#30

Post by xeornet » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 8:14 PM UTC

shireboy wrote: post #17

dang wrote: post #31

[stub for offtopicness]

It must be a fundamental law of nature that the organisms with the smallest brains are the loudest.

I think you may be onto something here.