Evolutionary Changes in the Acoustic System of the Family Terapontidae

• Main Authors: Jen-chun Hsueh, 薛仁鈞
• Other Authors: Hin-Kiu Mok
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/98455019899417565308

碩士 === 國立中山大學 === 海洋生物研究所 === 101 === Earlier anatomical works showed that Terapon jabua and Pelates quadrilineatus have a specialized structure: a pair of internal tendon inside of swim bladder that may play a role in sound producing. However, Scortum, a cultured species in Taiwan, lack such structure. The aim of this study was to reveal the evolutionary change of the sound-producing system including acoustic signal and sonic structure in the family Terapontidae. Phylogenic relationship of the genus was reconstructed using molecular data. The results showed that the marine species were primitive species and most of them have well developed sonic structure. On the contrary, the freshwater species were more derived but their sonic systems are less developed or even absent. It can be generalized that vocalization may be less important to freshwater grunters.