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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →A group of fish is commonly called a school. Shoal is another valid term; in biological usage, it often describes fish staying together socially, while schooling refers to coordinated movement.
What is a school of fish called?
It is called a school. The FAO terminology entry defines a fish school as “a group of fish swimming together” and also lists “shoal of fish” among related terms. FAOTERM: fish school
What is the difference between a school and a shoal?
The useful distinction is how the fish move. In a biological context, a shoal is a social group of fish that remain together; a school is a shoal whose members move in a coordinated, aligned way. A peer-reviewed study of zebrafish describes shoals as fish that “remain together for social reasons” and schools as groups that are “polarized and coordinated.” PLOS ONE: From Schooling to Shoaling
Everyday English and fisheries terminology do not always maintain a strict boundary between the words. The FAO entry treats “shoal of fish,” “school of fish,” “fish shoal,” and “school” as related terms, so shoal is a sound alternative when referring generally to a group of fish.
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Do all fish schools look the same?
No single description covers every aggregation. NOAA educational material gives a simple example of a school as fish of one kind moving together in the same direction and at the same speed. That is a useful picture of coordinated schooling, not a universal rule for every group of fish. NOAA Central Library: Schools of Fish
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