Understanding what the fish ear tells the fish brain

Abstract

A. N. Popper (1977, 1981) described the organization of sensory hair cells on the otolithic endorgans of closely related and taxonomically distant fishes and stimulated decades of research on the functional significance of the great diversity that he observed. Comparative physiological studies (many featured in the reviews found in SHAR volumes edited by Popper and Fay, published by Springer-Verlag beginning in 1992) have revealed that auditory processing in fishes has much in common with hearing in other vertebrates. In addition, Arthur Popper, his collaborators, and his students have documented that the auditory information encoded by the ear provides the fish with sensitivity to sound frequency, level, and source direction. Specific examples will be provided. Popper also has been instrumental in educating the public, a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist (Dave Barry), and environmental regulators about fish hearing, most importantly, conveying the message that understanding hearing and the role of sound in the normal behavior of fishes is necessary for the conservation of marine and freshwater ecosystems.