SCHOOLING FISH

Many fish form a group that is all encompassing, a club if you like, where everyone works together to create just the right social balance.

This extended group, or shoal, can be anything from a few dozen to a few thousand fish. They hang out together to feed, breed, rest and, most importantly, avoid predators. They occasionally head off for a bout of privacy, but generally return to travel within the protective umbrella of the group.Once on the move, most shoals start to school and then benefit from the added protection that gives. They adapt their behaviour to act like a single being.

By definition, a school of fish is a group that swims in a synchronised manner, with similar speeds and direction. They implement a special tactic called the nearest neighbour distance, meaning they maintain the same space between each other. This is half to one times their body length.

A shoal of fish, although we often confuse the two terms, is a little different. They group for purely social reasons. Each member weighs up the pros and cons and will hang around if the benefits outweigh the costs.

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