Perhaps understandably, the male toadfish doesn't rely on his looks to attract females. He uses a bellowing, foghorn-like call to lure the ladies instead. But he'd better beware of his neighbors—nearby toadfish, a scientist has discovered, use short grunts to stealthily jam each other's signals.
In the spring, at the start of breeding season, male oyster toadfish nestle into rocks and debris on shallow seafloors in the western Atlantic. From his hidden nest, the male sends out his tuba blasts. A female who hears something she likes comes to the nest and glues down her eggs. Then she leaves the homely male to fertilize the eggs and guard the young till they're grown.
The breeding season stretches to the beginning of fall, and during this time male oyster toadfish have been observed grunting as often as 200 times an hour. When sending out their signature mating calls, neighboring males alternate ...
