(Press-News.org) Physicists are also interested in fish – above all when they are researching the formation of structures. A research team from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and the University of Bristol (United Kingdom) has examined the schooling behaviour of zebra danio (Danio rerio, also known as “zebrafish”) using methods from the field of multi-particle physics. In the scientific journal Nature Communications, they explain that groups of just three fish already move in a similar way to large schools while, by contrast, two fish display completely different behaviour.
The saying “three is a crowd” seems not only to apply to “The Three Investigators” and the three musketeers. In various scientific phenomena – such as primary colours or spatial dimensions – three options are also enough to characterise different states.
Physicists have now investigated how various large groups of living creatures behave. They wanted to know the minimum group size needed for the movement patterns of the individual members to change and become a coordinated group movement. And three does indeed seem to be the key number for zebrafish.
The physicists fitted an aquarium in Bristol with synchronised cameras to measure the three-dimensional swim trajectories of their zebrafish. They systematically recorded these trajectories for various group sizes – two, three, four and fifty fish.
In the next step, they then looked for instances of order in the swim trajectories. They found various movement patterns: The fish either all swam in the same direction or they swam round in a circle together. When they moved in the same direction, they either swam next to each other or one after another.
An isolated pair of fish prefers to move one after another – one fish leads, the other follows. However, three fish swim next to each other – it seems that none of them wants to be last. And: This habit of swimming next to each other is also characteristic of a large school of fish.
The researchers then also marked small sub-groups within a large school. They established that groups of three within the school move in a very similar way to an isolated group of three. However, where they only marked two neighbours, they behaved differently in the school than as an isolated pair. Dr Alexandra Zampetaki from Düsseldorf (now Vienna), co-lead author with Dr Yushi Yang of the study now published in Nature Communications, notes: “Practically, three fish form a school, but two are not enough.”
“This simple finding initially only applies for zebrafish. However, the concepts could also be transferred to other examples of fauna,” says corresponding author Professor Dr C. Patrick Royall from the University of Bristol, who now works at the EPSCI in Paris. Royall continues: “These include schools of other fish such as goldfish or sardines, as well as flocks of birds such as starling murmurations and swarms of insects such as dancing mosquitos.”
The idea for the joint research project arose over the course of several visits by Professor Royall, recipient of the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award presented by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to Professor Dr Hartmut Löwen at HHU. “Applying traditional methods and concepts from the theory of fluids such as pair and triplet correlations to fish was a new challenge, as these concepts originate from the thermodynamic equilibrium and a living school of fish is far from being in a state of equilibrium,” says Löwen, Head of the Institute for Theoretical Physics II at HHU.
The fundamental classification of the many-body effects was undertaken in Düsseldorf. In addition, Dr Alexandra Zampetaki simulated the fish trajectories: “We modified our model to enable realistic simulation of the swimming motion of the fish. The simulation confirmed the experimental finding that ‘three constitute a school’.”
Looking to the future, the researchers are aiming to apply their findings to the group behaviour of people and how they behave for example at parties or mass gatherings. Löwen: “We will see whether the simple limit of the number three then also applies.”
Original publication:
A. Zampetaki, Y. Yang, H. Löwen, C. P. Royall. Dynamical Order and Many-Body Correlations in Zebrafish show that Three is a Crowd. Nature Communications. Nature Communications 15, 2591 (2024).
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46426-1
END
How many fish constitute a school?
Physics: Publication in Nature Communications
2024-03-25
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Provision of medications for self-managed abortion before and after the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision
2024-03-25
About The Study: Provision of medications for self-managed abortions increased in the six months following the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. Results suggest that a substantial number of abortion seekers accessed services despite the implementation of state-level bans and restrictions.
Authors: Abigail R. A. Aiken, Ph.D., of the University of Texas at Austin, is the corresponding author.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jama.2024.4266)
Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, ...
Common household chemicals pose new threat to brain health
2024-03-25
CLEVELAND—A team of researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has provided fresh insight into the dangers some common household chemicals pose to brain health. They suggest that chemicals found in a wide range of items, from furniture to hair products, may be linked to neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis and autism spectrum disorders.
Neurological problems impact millions of people, but only a fraction of cases can be attributed to genetics alone, indicating that unknown environmental factors are important contributors to neurological disease.
The new study ...
Unlocking quantum computing power: automated protocol design for quantum advantage
2024-03-25
Imagine a world where complex calculations that currently take months for our best supercomputers to crack could be performed in a matter of minutes. Quantum computing is revolutionizing our digital world. In a research article published Feb. 19 in Intelligent Computing, researchers unveiled an automated protocol-design approach that could unlock the computational power of quantum devices sooner than we imagined.
Quantum computational advantage represents a critical milestone in the development of quantum technologies. It signifies the ability of quantum computers to outperform classical supercomputers in certain tasks. Achieving ...
Pitt receives NIH grants to study health effects of chemical exposures following the East Palestine train derailment
2024-03-25
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh has received a pair of two-year grants from the National Institutes of Health to support studies on the health effects of environmental contamination resulting from the train derailment that spilled hazardous materials into the local communities in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023.
The grants, totaling nearly $1 million, were awarded through a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences ...
Researchers Discover Evolutionary “Tipping Point” in Fungi
2024-03-25
Scientists have found a “tipping point” in the evolution of fungi that throttles their growth and sculpts their shapes. The findings, published in the journal Cell Reports, demonstrate how small changes in environmental factors can lead to huge changes in evolutionary outcomes.
Fungi are nature’s great composters. They wait within the forest floor to feed on fallen trees and autumn leaves, releasing essential nutrients from these plants back into the Earth.
Although fungi often ...
Differences in donor heart acceptance by race and gender of patients on the transplant waiting list
2024-03-25
About The Study: The cumulative incidence of heart offer acceptance by a transplant center team was consistently lower for Black candidates than for white candidates of the same gender and higher for women than for men in this study. These disparities persisted after adjusting for candidate-, donor-, and offer-level variables, possibly suggesting racial and gender bias in the decision-making process. Further investigation of site-level decision-making may reveal strategies for equitable donor heart acceptance.
Authors: Khadijah Breathett, M.D., M.S., of Indiana University in Indianapolis, ...
Job flexibility, job security, and mental health among working adults
2024-03-25
About The Study: In this study of 18,000 adults who were employed, greater job flexibility was significantly associated with reduced odds of experiencing serious psychological distress and experiencing anxiety. Greater job security was significantly associated with reduced odds of experiencing serious psychological distress and experiencing anxiety.
Authors: Monica L. Wang, Sc.D., M.S., of the Boston University School of Public Health, is the corresponding author.
To access ...
Inappropriate diagnosis of pneumonia among hospitalized adults
2024-03-25
About The Study: Inappropriate diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia was common, particularly among older adults, those with dementia, and those presenting with altered mental status in this study of 17,000 hospitalized adults treated for pneumonia in 48 Michigan hospitals. Full-course antibiotic treatment of those inappropriately diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia may be harmful.
Authors: Ashwin B. Gupta, M.D., of the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is the corresponding author.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website ...
Development of a follow-up measure to ensure complete screening for colorectal cancer
2024-03-25
About The Study: The findings of this observational study of 20,000 adults suggest that a measure of follow-up colonoscopy within defined periods after an abnormal result of a stool-based screening test for colorectal cancer is warranted based on low current performance rates and would be feasible to collect by health systems and produce valid, reliable results.
Authors: Elizabeth L. Ciemins, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.A., of the American Medical Group Association in Alexandria, Virginia, is the corresponding author.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media ...
Breakthrough in modeling
2024-03-25
Coastal seas form a complex transition zone between the two largest CO2 sinks in the global carbon cycle: land and ocean. Ocean researchers have now succeeded for the first time in investigating the role of the coastal ocean in a seamless model representation. The team led by Dr. Moritz Mathis from the Cluster of Excellence for Climate Research CLICCS at Universität Hamburg and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon was able to show: The intensity of CO2 uptake is higher in coastal seas than in the open ocean. This is evidenced by a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
To ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Biodegradable PET alternative bioproduced at unprecedented levels
NTU Singapore scientists develop cooling sunscreen from pollen
Efficient ethane separation from natural gas using ZIF-8 slurry
Flying blind: aviation experts call for more pilot training amid poor general aviation safety record
Unraveling the complex relationship between trade openness and carbon emissions in Asia
Towards a new era of global agricultural ecology and environmental science
Durham University scientists pioneer new drone swarm technology
New research reveals insights into linkage between menopause and cardiovascular health
Durham University scientists map stress response system in plants
Weight-loss drug semaglutide reduces cocaine use in rats: Suggests possible first pharmacological treatment for human cocaine dependency
Are probiotics worth the cost to prevent infection after a colon removal surgery?
Mizzou at the forefront of using hydrogen energy safely
New design framework makes it easier to create custom shock-absorbing materials
Ochsner Health honored by AMA for Joy in Medicine
New meta-analysis demonstrates that access to the GeneSight test can significantly improve response and remission rates for patients with depression
UCLA receives $7.1M federal grant to expand psychotherapy treatment for chronic pain
One dose of antibiotic treats early syphilis as well as three doses
Researchers identify single antibody behind life-threatening reaction to common blood thinner
Don’t sweat it: New device detects sweat biomarker at minimal perspiration rate
Not so sweet: Some sugar substitutes linked to faster cognitive decline
Antibody-making cells reveal new function in response to flu infection
CCNY physicists make quantum emitter discovery in diamonds
SwRI and Copeland win R&D 100 Award for innovative oil-free compressor
Loneliness is bad for health and wealth in the U.K.
Oral health treatment in patients due for surgery is associated with significantly lower rates of postoperative pneumonia and shorter hospital stays, per observational study in one Japanese hospital,
Oxygen came late to ocean depths during Paleozoic
Among women suffering hyperemesis (extreme nausea and vomiting) in pregnancy, half report considering terminating their pregnancy, and 9 in 10 have considered having no more children
Loneliness is bad for health and wealth in the UK
Climate change is making rollercoaster harvests the new normal
Misdirected: Increased dementia risk associated with errors of the 'brain’s compass'
[Press-News.org] How many fish constitute a school?Physics: Publication in Nature Communications