Just after the reef colonization, fish species could use the acoustic cue to settle on different suitable habitats. In the present study, we used the auditory evoked potential (AEP) technique to measure and compare the detection abilities in five coral reef fish species, with some of these species that are found in the same habitat. We also examined the effect of fish size on sensitivity at the species level. All studied species except one showed size-related changes in sensitivity characterized by either a decrease (i.e. higher AEP thresholds) or an increase (i.e. lower AEP thresholds) in detection abilities with increasing size. The interspecific comparison of audiograms revealed that some species are more sensitive than others in terms of sound pressure level and frequency detection. Overall, this study indicates that the AEP threshold and the frequency bandwidth at early life stages may vary between and within fish species. The detection abilities are different in fish species that are not phylogenetically related, which might suggest that the establishment of their capabilities is not necessarily related to the reef conquest.
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