<p>Most toothed whales (with the exception of sperm whales) have two sound generators - a pair of phonic lips in the left and right nasal passages - that they can activate independently. For whistling delphinids, that indeed allows them to produce simultaneous clicks and whistles, and also allows some species such as pilot whales to produce biphonic calls with two independent fundamental frequency contours.</p>
<p>Here are a few references for more information
<a href="https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/218/24/3987/14345/On-doing-two-things-at-once-dolphin-brain-and-nose" rel="noreferrer">https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/218/24/3987/14345/On-doing-two-things-at-once-dolphin-brain-and-nose</a></p>
<p><a href="https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/216/21/4091/11699/Nasal-sound-production-in-echolocating-delphinids" rel="noreferrer">https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/216/21/4091/11699/Nasal-sound-production-in-echolocating-delphinids</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-11T12:49:34.107Z
2022-07-11T15:23:04.093Z
2022-07-11T15:23:04.093Z
Frants Jensen
<p>Does anybody know if cetaceans can produce simultaneous click and whistle sounds?</p>
<p>In case they can't, if a recording shows simultaneous clicks and whistle sound can we infer that there are, at least, 2 cetaceans present?</p>
<p>All the best</p>

<whistles><cetacean><echolocation-clicks>
Simultaneous whistles and clicks?
# Simultaneous whistles and clicks?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-11)

Does anybody know if cetaceans can produce simultaneous click and whistle sounds?

In case they can't, if a recording shows simultaneous clicks and whistle sound can we infer that there are, at least, 2 cetaceans present?

All the best

**Tags:** whistles, cetacean, echolocation-clicks


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-07-11. Score: 18 | Accepted answer

Most toothed whales (with the exception of sperm whales) have two sound generators - a pair of phonic lips in the left and right nasal passages - that they can activate independently. For whistling delphinids, that indeed allows them to produce simultaneous clicks and whistles, and also allows some species such as pilot whales to produce biphonic calls with two independent fundamental frequency contours.

Here are a few references for more information
<https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/218/24/3987/14345/On-doing-two-things-at-once-dolphin-brain-and-nose>

<https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/216/21/4091/11699/Nasal-sound-production-in-echolocating-delphinids>


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