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In the 1980s, people living on houseboats in the San Francisco Bay were puzzled by a droning hum of unknown origin that started abruptly in the late evening and stopped suddenly in the morning. A lengthy investigation revealed the culprit: male plainfin midshipman fish that sing at night to attract mates.
The fish, which can grow to 15 inches in length, live along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja, California. A new study reveals how melatonin, a time-keeping hormone, and daily light cycles keep the nocturnal fish singing through the night.Image credit: Margaret Marchaterre, Cornell University
