Schools of fish swim in a very organized manner. You have also seen that every fish in the fish school swims in the same direction at the same speed. Have you ever wondered why fish swim like that? In this article, we will talk about it.
The researchers say that when a group of fish swim in the same direction as a herd, the sound of water disturbance is less than that of those fishes swimming alone. Also, behaving in herds is a special advantage for fish in protection, breeding, and finding food. Let’s discuss those three points in detail.
1. A school of fish is safer than a single fish.
When many small fish swim in a school, the school appears large. Then it confuses predators, like sharks. The reason is that it is difficult for a predatory fish to target one fish. Also, predators generally prefer to hunt a single fish rather than a school of fish. This leads to the safety of the fish school.
2. Fish have a better chance of breeding in fish schools.
Schooling increases the chances of fish breeding. In the herd, one fish can engage in the breeding process with more partners. This causes genetic mixing. Due to the resulting diversity, the new fish hatchlings are healthier. This also increases their adaptability.
3. Ease of finding food for the school of fish.
Researchers say that when a school of fish is foraging, they can find food more easily than when a single fish is foraging. I will give an example of this. A small fish alone cannot hunt a larger fish, but a school can. A school of fish can also travel long distances in search of food, protected from predators.
Below, you can watch a wonderful YouTube video of a school of fish swimming in the sea at the same speed and direction. This is a video presented by the BBC Earth YouTube channel.
