August 9, 2024 — A new study suggests fish may swim together in turbulent water to conserve energy.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Researchers have a new idea about why fish swim in schools. Turns out when fish swim together in turbulent water, they use nearly 80% less energy.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Yangfan Zhang studies animal biology at Harvard. He led the study published in the journal PLOS Biology. He’s also a cyclist.
YANGFAN ZHANG: So it’s a little bit like when the cyclists are doing the bicycle race, they tend to group together in the peloton. And we find this same phenomenon in the fish.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, it’s called drafting, and it’s used for car racing, too. The fish or cyclists or cars in the front have to work the hardest to get through the air or water resistance. The others following the leaders wait to save energy, then they take turns leading the pack.