Bruce Brian Beller, aged 9, of Allentown, Penna., for his question:

Do fish make sounds

Suppose you could gaze through the water down into the deep sea. You might see a lobster crunching on shrimps. You might see a starfish cracking open the two shells of a clam. Put if you were safe and sound above the water, you wouldn't hear these crunches and cracks. However, they would make noises under the water.

For a long time people thought that the underwater ocean was a quiet place. Then they tested it with underwater sound recorders. And the fishes were found to be very noisey creatures. The ocean floor was discovered to be as noisey as a jungle ‑ or more so.

The fish down there mew and squeak and howl. They yelp and bark. They also crack with there jaws and snap with their claws There are even fishes that kiss each other. To the underwater sound machine this sounds dust like a loud smack ‑ which is just what you would expect.