Do fish actually use their ears? They must, because coral reef fish spend weeks scouting out a new neighborhood before they move in – just like human house buyers do. The fish use their acute sense of hearing to eavesdrop on locations before deciding where to live. The researches studied fish near the Great Barrier reef off Australia. Damsels, cardnials, emperors and blennies liked spots where “reef noise” was higher. What is reef noise? “Reef noise includes the sounds of invertebrates and fish feeding, and so provides other fish with direct information about the residents on the reef” says Dr Steve Simpson of the university. What did the fish do next? The fish narrowed it down based on their needs, the same way humans do. Dr Steve Simpson, of Edinburgh University’s school of biological sciences, said: “These findings show that hearing is crucial for the survival of fish.
