Sound Production in the Territorial Behaviour of the Churchill Petrocephalus catostoma (Mormyridae, Teleostei) from the Upper Zambezi River

Abstract

This is the first description of vocalisations produced by the mormyrid species Petrocephalus catostoma from the Upper Zambezi River whilst defending a territory. Agonistic behavioural displays of a dominant male towards a conspecific, such as mutual circling or short attacks, were accompanied by characteristic tonal sounds, termed hoots. The mean hoot duration (43 ± SD 1.8 ms) was longer, and the fundamental frequency (H1, 180 ± SD 4.7 Hz) lower, than in the closely related species Petrocephalus ballayi. P. catostoma vocalised hoots only during intraspecific agonistic interactions, especially those accompanying territorial conflict.