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A species of fish that comes together once a year for mass underwater orgies might be under threat because its mating call is so loud.
So noisy is the the Gulf corvina – a Mexican species that lives mainly off the coast of California – that fishers can hear its call above water as it reverberates through the hull of boats.
As the fish get together for their rippling sex festival, they are easily caught in nets. Modern fishing techniques mean many more are now caught than in previous years.
The reproductive orgies are so audible that they can even deafen dolphins, scientists said on Wednesday. Other sea animals such as seals and sea lions are also thought to be affected.
Researchers of the Gulf corvina say the "spectacle" should be preserved – and is threatened by overfishing.