For the Marine-Minded Reader

A Book about Fish Sounds

Since 1949, Marie Poland Fish of the Narragansett Marine Laboratory at the University, assisted by William H. Mowbray, electronics engineer, has been gathering information and recordings of underwater sounds of biological origin under a grant from the Office of Naval Research.

The result of 20 years of work has now been published by The Johns Hopkins Press under the title Sounds of Western North Atlantic Fishes, A Reference File of Biological Underwater Sounds.

The 256-page, 8-1/2 by 11-inch hardcover book reports on 220 species of fish of which 153 produce sounds. The sounds are presented graphically in sonagrams and oscillograms, and for each species there is data on size, habits, sonic mechanism and distribution of the species.

The book has been distributed to 178 institutions and libraries in the United States and in 69 other countries as well.

Mrs. Fish reports that she has received more than 100 letters from around the world welcoming the publication. That it fills a real need is evident from the following comments "I am certain the atlas will be a classical reference work for bio-acoustic research for a long time to come." "This is exactly what has been needed over these years and it is good to see it at last in the published form." "Its comprehensiveness and thoroughness amaze me." "Your extensive studies on sounds emitted by fish will help auditory physiologists very much when we plan neurophysiological experiments on fish." "This impressive volume will certainly be an invaluable reference work for scientists both in the laboratory and in the field."

The authors are presently preparing as a supplement to the book a recording of the characteristic sounds of all the species described. This, Mrs. Fish says, will fill two 9-inch magnetic tapes and they should be ready for duplication by September. The tapes were promised in the book and a number of requests have already been received.

The publication which sells for $12.50, is available from The Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore, Maryland 21218.
 

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