QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

First published online August 31, 2004
Journal of Experimental Biology 207, 3591-3602 (2004)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2004
doi: 10.1242/jeb.01188

This Article Summary Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Smith, M. E. Articles by Popper, A. N. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Smith, M. E. Articles by Popper, A. N.

Acoustical stress and hearing sensitivity in fishes: does the linear threshold shift hypothesis hold water?

Michael E. Smith^1,*, Andrew S. Kane² and Arthur N. Popper^1,3

¹ Department of Biology and Center for Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
² Aquatic Pathobiology Program, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
³ Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA

View larger version (14K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. The power spectra level of the 170 dB re 1 µPa white noise used for noise exposure experiments (from Smith et al., 2004). The top curve shows the spectrum as recorded directly from the MiniDisc player. The bottom curve shows the spectrum as recorded by a hydrophone placed centrally within the noise exposure bucket. The spectrum measured within the noise exposure aquarium is similar to that of the bucket, so it is omitted for clarity.

View larger version (19K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Mean (± S.E.M.) auditory thresholds of control (110 dB re 1 µPa) and noise-exposed (130–160 dB re 1 µPa) goldfish after 24 h of white noise exposure.

View larger version (11K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Temporary threshold shift (TTS) as a function of absolute sound pressure level (SPL) of the exposure noise. Data points represent mean (± S.E.M.) TTS across five frequencies (400–2000 Hz), with N=6 fish for each frequency. The line represents the linear regression equation for the data shown.

View larger version (25K): [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Temporary threshold shift (TTS) as a function of sound pressure differences (SPD) between the noise exposure sound pressure level (SPL) and goldfish baseline auditory threshold SPL. This relationship is shown at (A) different frequencies tested and (B) different noise SPL used. Colored lines in A represent separate linear regressions for each frequency tested, while in B they represent separate linear regressions for each of the four SPLs (130, 140, 160 or 170 dB re1 µPa) at all frequencies tested. Each data point is the mean TTS for a particular frequency (N=6 fish). The same data points are plotted in A and B, but the individual data points are not shown in A for clarity.

View larger version (15K): [in a new window]   Fig. 5. Mean (± S.E.M.) temporary threshold shift (TTS) for all sound pressure levels (SPL) tested (130, 140, 160, 170 dB re 1 µPa) as a function of frequency (blue circles). The baseline goldfish audiogram (black circles) is presented for comparison to show the relationship between baseline thresholds and TTS.

View larger version (20K): [in a new window]   Fig. 6. Mean (± S.E.M.) auditory thresholds of control and noise-exposed (A) tilapia and (B) goldfish after 7 and 21 or 28 days noise exposure. N=5–6.

View larger version (21K): [in a new window]   Fig. 7. Temporary threshold shift (TTS) as a function of noise sound pressure differences (SPD) between the noise exposure sound pressure level (SPL) and baseline hearing threshold SPL of five species of teleost. The line shows the linear regression relationship for all the species (TTS=0.23x–2.44, r2=0.62).

View larger version (23K): [in a new window]   Fig. 8. Temporary threshold shift (TTS) as a function of noise sound pressure differences (SPD) between the noise exposure sound pressure level (SPL) and baseline hearing threshold SPL of birds, fish (hearing specialists only) and mammals. Lines represent significant linear regression relationships (TTSbirds=0.55x–8.64, r2=0.36; TTSfish=0.24x–3.17, r2=0.54; TTSmamm=0.55x–57.64, r2=0.81).