Yannick Dauby wrote:
> and now for something completely different...
> this morning, i was diving in the mediterranean sea, near the
> french-italian frontier.
> and i heard some very surprising sounds, quite similar sferics or dust
> on vynil records. these cracklings were louder when i was closer to
> sea-urchin areas, at 1 meter deep, near rocks.
> is it possible that the sounds i heard was their movement of spines on
> the sand/stones ? or was it shrimps ?
> unfortunately i don't have an hydrophone (but maybe i should try with
> the klas's condom idea...).
In Hawaii when I lived there the water was full of these sounds. It's
caused there by a type of shrimp called a snapping shrimp. They have a
special joint in their claw that makes the sound.
I think the snapping shrimp of one species or another are pretty much
worldwide in the warmer oceans. So, I expect that's what you heard.
I've done a fair amount of diving around sea urchins. They don't make
sounds like that.
Walt
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