Sounds as taxonomic indicators in Holocentrid fishes

Abstract The species-specific character of sounds in the animal kingdom has been extensively documented, yet research on fishes has predominantly focused on a limited number of species, overlooking the potential of acoustic signals to reflect broader taxonomic ranks. In this study, we analyzed acoustic data of hand-held sounds from 388 specimens spanning 5 genera and 33 species within the family Holocentridae, with the objective of evaluating the use of sound characteristics for taxonomic discrimination across various levels (subfamily, genus, species). Sounds could be indicative of grouping. Taxa discriminability depends on taxonomic level; the higher the taxonomic level, the better the discrimination of taxa based on sounds. Analogous to the role of morphological traits in taxonomic delineation, this research corroborates the utility of acoustic features in identifying fish taxa across multiple hierarchical levels. Remarkably, certain holocentrid species have evolved complex sound patterns characterized by unique temporal arrangements where pulses are not continuous but emitted in blocks, facilitating the exploitation of the acoustic space.