Behavioral studies on sailor's choice (bony shallow‐water fish) determined that, at 200 Hz, sonic particle velocity noise received by the lateral line did not mask a sonic pressure signal received by the ear; but sonic pressure noise received by the ear can mask the sonic particle velocity signal received by the lateral line. At 50 Hz, the fish failed to respond to the pressure signal, but pressure noise was still coupled into the velocity‐sensitive lateral‐line system.