Schooling/Shoaling, what's the difference!

[blueturq]

Hey everyone!

I have a question, and it's about something that's been driving me nuts! :shock:

What is the difference between schooling and shoaling? :shock:

[NjOyRiD]

probably the same thing...

[mseguin]

Shoaling refers to a grouping of fish that hang out together, while schooling is a group of fish that move in unison, such as the giant schools of tuna or herring you see on Nature channels. As far as I can remember.
It's like shoaling is any kind of social get-together, and schooling is a cult :-)

[blueturq]

Shoaling refers to a grouping of fish that hang out together, while schooling is a group of fish that move in unison, such as the giant schools of tuna or herring you see on Nature channels. As far as I can remember.
It's like shoaling is any kind of social get-together, and schooling is a cult :-)

AAAH I see now!

Thanks Matt!

[Aiglos]

Matt nailed it on the head.

Schooling and Shoaling are the same thing,  however when describing fish,   when they swim loosely together they are a shoal and when they swim tightly knit together they are a school.

I looked it up more closely becase it is interesting, if you are interested give this a read.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarm

One puzzling aspect of shoal selection is how a fish can choose to join a shoal of animals of similar appearance, given that it cannot know its own colour. Experiments with zebrafish have shown that shoal preference is a learned ability, not innate. A zebrafish tends to associate with shoals that resemble shoals that it was reared in (that is, a form of imprinting).

very interesting, you learn something new everyday.

[blueturq]

Thanks for the link Aiglos!