37. Do any creatures in the sea other than the porpoise talk? 



Yes, many creatures in the sea make sounds which may be a form of 

 communication; porpoises and other mammals offer the greatest pos- 

 sibility for understanding by man someday. Dr. John C. Lilly, of the 

 Communications Research Laboratory in the Virgin Islands, has reported 

 strong evidence that porpoises (dolphins) can mimic the human voice. 



Extensive recordings of whale sounds have been made. These sounds 

 have been compared to the trumpeting of elephants. Killer whales in 

 captivity have even talked to each other from one city to another over 

 long distance telephone lines using hydrophones at each end as the 

 receiver-transm itter . 



Some fish, such as drumfish and groupers, produce drumlike thumps 

 which are suspected to be a defense to frighten other approaching fish. 

 Croakers received their name from the sound they produce, often de- 

 scribed as sounding like rapid blows on a hollow log. Toadfish emit a 

 "boat whistle" sound which may be related to reproductive behavior. 



Among other noisy animals are sea lions, seals, puffers, crabs, snap- 

 ping shrimp, and lobsters. 



Herald, Earl S. 



Living Fishes of the World, Doubleday, 1961. 

 Lanyon, W. E., and W. N. Tarolga (Ed.) 



Animal Sounds and Communication, Publication No. 7, American 



Institute of Biological Sciences, 1960. 

 Marteka, Vincent 



Bionics, J. B. Lipincott Company, 1965. 



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