Photograph by Andre Narchuk


In biology, any group of fish that stay together for social reasons are said to be shoaling, and if, in addition, the group is swimming in the same direction in a coordinated manner, they are said to be schooling. In the hood, schooling means you are dominating your competition in whatever it is you’re competing in 🙂

Below you will find some incredible photographs of these schools along with interesting facts via Wikipedia, on shoaling and schooling. Enjoy!

2. FISH BALL

Photograph by Brandon Cole


Advantages of shoaling:
– Defense against predators (through better predator detection and by diluting the chance of individual capture)
– Enhanced foraging success, and higher success in finding a mate
– Increased hydrodynamic efficiency

3. Will you be my Shoalmate?

Photograph by Sean Davey


Fish can be obligate or facultative shoalers. Obligate shoalers, such as tunas, herrings and anchovy, spend all of their time shoaling or schooling, and become agitated if separated from the group. Facultative shoalers, such as Atlantic cod, saiths and some carangids, shoal only some of the time, perhaps for reproductive purposes

4. School of Blue Jacks

Photograph by pats0n

5. School of Boga Fish

Photograph by Itoosilly

6. School of Snapper Fish

Photograph by OrcaDivers


The Three Rules of Schooling:
1. Move in the same direction as your neighbour
2. Remain close to your neighbours
3. Avoid collisions with your neighbours

7. Mean Green Machine

Photograph by Elizabeth Schuster

8. School of Sardines

Photograph by -drsteve-


Parameters used to define a shoal:
– Density
– Polarity
– Nearest neighbour distance
– Nearest neighbour position
– Packing fraction
– Integrated conditional density
– Pair distribution function

9. French Polynesia’s Tuamotu Archipelago

Photograph by David Doubliet

10. Triton Bay, Indonesia

Photograph by Jason Heller

11. Mellow Yellow

Photograph by Anne Kuilman

12.Tropical School in Tahiti

Photograph by ThundaFunda

13. Sphere of Influence

Photographer Unknown

14. School of Silver Sprats, Maldives

Photograph by Dhonfuthu

15. Tunnel Vision

Photograph by Zena Holloway/Peter Bailey

If you enjoyed this article, the Sifter highly recommends: 10 BIZARRE NAMES FOR A GROUP OF ANIMALS