Differences in shoaling behavior in two species of freshwater fish (Danio rerio and Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi)

Fish can gain significant adaptive advantages when living in a group and they exhibit a wide variety of types of collective motion. The scientific literature recognizes 2 main patterns: shoals (aggregations of individuals that remain close to each other), and schools (aggregations of aligned, or polarized, individuals). We analyzed the collective motion of 2 social fish species, zebrafish (Danio rerio) and black neon tetra (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi), and compared their patterns of movement and the effect of group size and environmental constraints such as water column height and tank geometry on the collective motion of both species. We recorded the movement of groups of fish (n = 10 and n = 20) using 2 tank geometries: a rectangular shape and a rectangular shape with rounded corners; and we also manipulated the water column height (15 and 25 cm). We extracted the individual fish trajectories and calculated indices of cohesion, coordination, group density and group shape. The results showed that the 2 species had different types of collective motion: the zebrafish's global motion matched that of a shoal, while the black neon tetra's motion matched that of a school. Indirect evidence indicated that the 2 species tended to occupy the vertical space differently while swimming in a group. Finally, we found that tank geometry did not affect group polarization, whereas group size had an effect on black neon tetra density, which was higher in small group sizes than in large ones. (PsycINFO Database Record