herringfarts.html

November 20, 2005 8:08 AM

Herring break wind to communicate, study suggests. (audio)
posted by 31d1 (30 comments total)

Before I check this out, I have to ask, was the audio taped in Smell-O-Rama, perhaps Smelt-O-Rama? It could be very NSF, if that were the case. I am sure this is just the tip of the auditory iceberg, on some new Pentagon communications system.
posted by Oyéah at 8:14 AM on November 20, 2005

Now there's a tag I didn't think I'd see on Metafilter...
posted by clevershark at 8:26 AM on November 20, 2005

I am not going to click that audio link until after breakfast.
posted by StickyCarpet at 8:28 AM on November 20, 2005

My Uncle does this...with assorted finger gestures. He works for the GOP.
posted by alteredcarbon at 8:37 AM on November 20, 2005

from the article: But unlike the human version, these FRTs are thought to bring the fish closer together.

What a weird-ass story. And that audio is the least funny fart audio ever. Leave it to scientists to take the funny out of farts.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 8:43 AM on November 20, 2005

I would never have guessed that I would see the word "farting" in an official National Geographic story. The times they are a-changing.
posted by wsg at 8:43 AM on November 20, 2005

But do they tap dance?
posted by maudlin at 8:53 AM on November 20, 2005

Funny that herring communicate the same way as Dante's devils in Hell.

I for one welcome our wind-breaking overlords
posted by PurplePorpoise at 9:23 AM on November 20, 2005

Somehow, that story makes me very happy. Is that wrong?
posted by JeffK at 9:28 AM on November 20, 2005

apparently what's good for mefites is good for herring.
posted by quonsar at 9:33 AM on November 20, 2005

Hell no, JeffK - this cracked me up for 3 minutes straight and I haven't even clicked the link yet!

/easily amused.
posted by Space Kitty at 9:33 AM on November 20, 2005

Hee hee hee hee hee hee.... :D
posted by Opposite George at 9:35 AM on November 20, 2005

Pull my fin.
posted by Opposite George at 9:35 AM on November 20, 2005

I've got Finding Nemo on as my background sound today, and reading this post, all I can think of is, "Awww, you guys made me ink!"
posted by Gator at 9:57 AM on November 20, 2005

Upon checking, I found that this is actually the third MeFi post that uses the "farts" tag.


posted by clevershark at 10:00 AM on November 20, 2005

Only herring? No parping carp? No tench stench? No flatfish flatulence?
posted by nthdegx at 10:24 AM on November 20, 2005

Tuna toots?
posted by kirkaracha at 10:51 AM on November 20, 2005

This is a serious scientific discovery, and shame on all of you for being so juvenile about it!

Bweheeheeheehee! They toot! :D
posted by kosher_jenny at 11:08 AM on November 20, 2005

shark barks! salmon slammin'!

This gave me a good, solid chuckle.

(this post, not my weak attempt to continue the pootie-puns.)
posted by socratic at 11:08 AM on November 20, 2005

I also note that among the users who have responded in this thread, we have a shark, a porpoise, a gator, and a kitty, which, while not a water creature as such, is such an anti-water creature that perhaps we can just go ahead and toss it in.
posted by socratic at 11:10 AM on November 20, 2005

OH NO YOU DIDN'T! I had this one lined up. Alas, all herring breaks loose ; >
posted by moonbird at 11:11 AM on November 20, 2005

"We know [herring] have excellent hearing but little about what they actually use it for," said research team leader Ben Wilson, a marine biologist at the Bamfield Marine Science Centre, British Columbia, Canada. "It turns out that herring make unusual farting sounds at night."

Best fish article ever.
posted by jokeefe at 11:33 AM on November 20, 2005

Only herring? No parping carp? No tench stench? No flatfish flatulence?

No bass ass blasts?
posted by jefbla at 12:20 PM on November 20, 2005

So Labradors turn out to be genius dogs! Who knew they could "speak" a second language fluently?

I hear Whale parties are a blast! That whole tsunami thing? Just a bunch of whales getting into an argument.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 12:49 PM on November 20, 2005

I think I'll pass.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:42 PM on November 20, 2005

clevershark writes "Now there's a tag I didn't think I'd see on Metafilter..."

herring?
posted by brundlefly at 2:30 PM on November 20, 2005

I have this herring expression that I use all the time.
posted by srboisvert at 4:06 PM on November 20, 2005

I smell a red herring.
posted by nlindstrom at 4:16 PM on November 20, 2005

So herring will get along famously in a Mefi political thread then.
posted by Joeforking at 4:22 PM on November 20, 2005

Fish whisperer.
posted by foozleface at 5:25 PM on November 21, 2005