Swimming in a school to hear better

Researchers believe that an American species of fish swims in a school in order to better hear the ultrasonic sounds of dolphins together.

American shad is one of the few fish species that can pick up the ultrasonic clicks of dolphins. It thus largely manages to stay outside the stomachs of dolphins. Well, there are study results that suggest that a shad cannot hear well enough to hear sounds.

New computer models would show that this changes when fish swim in a school. As if they formed an extra large ear together. A kind of safety net for the incoming sound, in which the sound waves are reflected off the structure of the school so that each fish receives it amplified.

The idea has sparked the interest of biologists and can now be explored in real life. If the pattern of the school is optimized to pick up the sounds of dolphins, you should be able to tell from their formation compared to other schools of fish of about the same size.

Read more here: Monitoring and hydrodynamic benefits of schools of fish.