Schools of fish are super quiet

Groups of fish swimming together have a superpower. If they move the right way, they can fool predators into thinking a single fish is approaching. Engineers at Johns Hopkins University wanted to understand why fish swim in schools (groups from the same species). They knew that traveling in groups protected fish from predators’ attacks, but could it also help them avoid being noticed? The research team studied the movements of common mackerels, including the formations the fish made and how far apart they swam, and created 3D models to mimic how they move. Mackerels’ tail fins swing from left to right to push them forward. The team found that if all the fish flapped their fins in the same direction at the same time, they made more noise. But when…

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The Week Junior US (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 212

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