fish school !!

In a meeting of people, there was cacophony – everyone was shouting their thoughts !!  then there was this school, in Unison and harmony !!

 

I realized a bit late that – ‘do you like fish’ can have different meaning depending on the person to whom it is posed !   Are you attracted to ‘fish’ as pets ? – have you raised aquarium at home ?? – it is stated that  smaller fish have shorter lives. Some have less than a year ! It is  so enchanting looking at fish swimming whether in a pond or in an aquarium.  Fish keeping is a popular hobby which sure would provide one  lot of mental peace and tranquility. 

In a pond – where water is clean and there is no disturbance, one could observe large school of fish moving in unison, in so well coordinated pattern, moving together as if under radio control, performing movements both simple and complicated. Schools turn, contract, expand, even part and come back together all without missing a beat. When a Cormorant or some other predatory bird lands in the water, the fish contract and then billow in fractions of a second, changing shape and pattern. This split-second teamwork isn't just entrancing—it's a matter of survival for the fish. Swimming together helps them evade hungry predators, spot rich feeding areas, find mates, and even makes swimming easier by letting them slip through the water using less energy. Scientists are so fascinated by how fish work together that they're using their findings to unlock mysteries beyond the ocean—from how our brains work to how crowds of people make decisions together. 

Fishes swim by using their streamlined bodies and fins to move through the water, with the tail fin providing the primary thrust and other fins aiding in steering and stability.  Fish primarily propel themselves through water by contracting muscles on either side of their bodies, generating waves of flexion that travel from head to tail.  

Schooling saves the fish energy — lots of energy.  Sometimes they move slowly and gracefully. Other times, they will dart quickly in one direction, then another. How do hundreds  of fish move together as fluidly as dancers, knowing when to turn or react to danger in an instant? Fish have a superpower for sensing their underwater world: a line of special cells along their bodies that feel pressure changes, called the lateral line.  Fish use their lateral line to maintain the perfect distance from their neighbours -- a “sweet spot” where they can sense each other’s movements without bumping into one another. This spacing allows them to conserve energy through a behavioral rule, “vortex phase matching,” which lets them ride the water swirls created by nearby fish, similar to how geese fly in formation or cyclists draft behind one another in races to reduce drag.  

The lateral line works differently depending on the situation. Scientists discovered this by conducting experiments that blocked certain senses. Even without their lateral line, fish could still swim together by using their eyesight. But in dark, crowded waters, fish could only coordinate with their closest neighbors and had trouble staying in formation with fish that were farther away. Both vision and the lateral line play an important role in schooling.

 
Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
6.4.2025