Hello? Is This Thing On?

Posted by Alex in Animal, Pictures on October 9, 2008 at 4:18 pm



Photo: Lilo Hess/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

From National Geographic’s extensive photo archives, here is an intriguing photo of a burrfish on a mic. Too bad it wasn’t singing karaoke or anything like that:

"You don’t think of fish as making noises, but many do. They grunt, purr, drum, croak, and grind their teeth!" wrote F. Barrows Colton in the January 1945 Geographic, where this photo first appeared. As part of an experiment to record fish noises at a New York aquarium, photographer Lilo Hess used a pinch of fish food to lure this striped burrfish to the microphone. Despite its resemblance to a big band crooner, however, the bug-eyed burrfish doesn’t vocalize through its lips but by grinding its teeth to display distress or aggression—or attract mates.

Link (Flash, ninth photo in the gallery) - Thanks Marilyn Terrell!

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COMMENT

10 comments to "Hello? Is This Thing On?"

  1. MJ
    October 9th, 2008 at 4:40 pm

    Reminds me of that singing bass you can get…

    ‘Here’s a little song I wrote, you might want to sing it note for note but don’t worry, be happy…’

  2. Alex
    October 9th, 2008 at 5:26 pm

    Billy Bass! I have that (my wife gave it to me for a wedding gift. I gave her an X-man figurine. I know, we’re weird that way …)

  3. Joe
    October 9th, 2008 at 5:41 pm

    Hellooo, matey!

    Sent from my mobile using FeedM8

  4. Scotchdrnkr
    October 10th, 2008 at 7:13 am

    That is one UGLY fish.

  5. Scotchdrnkr
    October 10th, 2008 at 7:15 am

    Hello Hello. Can Anyone up on the surface hear me?
    Stop trashing our enviroment you idiots.

  6. travelina
    October 10th, 2008 at 9:25 am

    @Scotchdrnkr: love your comment!

  7. SenorMysterioso
    October 10th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

    taaakke me to the riverrrrr

    Alex, lucky she gave you the Billy Bass. I think if a husband gives his wife a novelty singing fish, she has legal grounds for divorce.

  8. Ali S.
    October 11th, 2008 at 2:51 pm

    Hello operator? Get me a line to Shanghai stat! I need to check my stock portfolio!

  9. Matt
    October 15th, 2008 at 11:14 am

    “People of Earth! You have one hour to surrender - or DIE!”

  10. Carlos Higgins
    November 11th, 2008 at 10:43 am

    re 10 American Financial Meltdowns in the Past Century. Alex posted it. Did he write it? If not, who did? It seems to be very well done and comprehensive.

    Thanks
    Carlos


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