A new study from Adelaide University has found that when ocean acidification makes reef habitat less complex, the fish living there gather in smaller shoals that offer less social protection.
A new study from Adelaide University has found that when ocean acidification makes reef habitat less complex, the fish living there gather in smaller shoals that offer less social protection.
“Watch a reef long enough and you realise that fish are almost never alone. They move in groups, feed in groups, and react to danger as a group,” said lead author Dr Angus Mitchell, from Adelaide University.
“For small reef fish, being part of a shoal is a survival strategy – more eyes spot predators sooner, more bodies mean any one fish is less likely to be the unlucky one.”
Mitchell’s study found that the size of a fish shoal affects their collective and individual behaviour.
Read more at: Adelaide University
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