Structural and developmental insights into the muscles involved in lionfish (Pterois spp.) vocalisations.

ABSTRACT: Vocal signalling is an important mode of communication in fishes. The two species of lionfish in the Pterois complex, the Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans) and the red lionfish (Pterois miles), are both known to produce different types of sounds with sonic muscles attached to the swimbladder. However, the specific mechanism and the functions of these vocalisations in these invasive species are still unknown. We used three-dimensional bioimaging to describe the anatomy of the sonic muscles of both species. We further quantified the muscles of P. volitans to specifically explore how muscles developed across ontogeny and to test the hypothesis that sonic muscles would show sexual dimorphism if they were a sexually selected trait. Both P. volitans and P. miles showed a physoclistous swi

SUBMITTER: Holmes RB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12861829 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature