What is schooling and shoaling in fish??
Schooling and shoaling is a kind of collective animal behaviour by fish. Any group of fish that stay together for social reasons is said to be shoaling, and if the shoal is swimming in the same direction together, it is schooling.p365 About one quarter of fish shoal all their lives, and about one half of fish shoal for part of their lives.
What is the difference between schooling and Shoal??
Shoaling groups can include fish of disparate sizes and can include mixed-species subgroups. If the shoal becomes more tightly organised, with the fish synchronising their swimming so they all move at the same speed and in the same direction, then the fish may be said to be schooling.
Do shoaling fish live in groups??
Shoaling fish, on the other hand, are fish that prefer to live in groups. While these fish may be foraging independently, they will typically stay close to other members of the same species. So if the group is moving, the fish is likely to follow and maintain a close distance with the group at all times.
What are some open questions about shoaling behaviour??
Other open questions of shoaling behaviour include identifying which inpiduals are responsible for the direction of shoal movement. In the case of migratory movement, most members of a shoal seem to know where they are going.