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	schooling/shoaling
Gills Hobbyist Posts: 53 Kudos: 41 Votes: 0 Registered: 06-May-2004	What is the difference between schooling and shoaling?
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:55
jake Fish Addict Posts: 594 Kudos: 875 Votes: 2 Registered: 21-Mar-2004	School - a large number of fish or aquatic animals of one kind swimming together Shoal- a large group or number Schooling would indicate a large number of one species of fish or aquatic animal swimming together. Shoaling would indicate a large group or number of possibly more than one species of fish or aquatic animals, possibly not "swimming together. A school is 400 neon tetras swimming together. A shoal is 200 neon tetras, 50 corydoras, 17 guppies, 69 female bettas, and a turtle all grouped closely together somewhere.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:55
Jason_R_S Moderator Posts: 2811 Kudos: 2421 Votes: 391 Registered: 18-Apr-2001	Schooling fish stay very closely together often all turning at the same time like Neon tetras for example. Shoaling fish simply feel safer in groups. They may play together and hang out in the same vicinity as each other but they won't swim/turn in unison like schooling fish. Loaches and cory catfish are good examples of shoaling fish. Up until a couple of months ago I didn't realize there was a difference between the 2. Jason
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:55
Racso Mega Fish Some Assembly Required Posts: 1163 Kudos: 1442 Votes: 35 Registered: 19-Feb-2002	I have read a couple books that have said that they are the same thing, and in fact, one saying that "shoaling" is the correct term between the two. Both jake and jason are right with their examples. I was going to give the cory example, but jason took it
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:55
jake Fish Addict Posts: 594 Kudos: 875 Votes: 2 Registered: 21-Mar-2004	A school of fish would meet the criteria to be called a shoal as well, a school being a large group or number. I'm assuming a school can be a shoal as well, but unless the shoal was of only one species of fish, it could not be a school. Interesting, hehe.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:55
DoctorJ Big Fish Posts: 344 Kudos: 1159 Votes: 191 Registered: 13-May-2003	I explained the concept of "schooling" to my four year old. He seems to have caught on. Our city's airshow was this weekend and the Snowbirds (the Canadian Armed Forces' precision flying team) were flying over our house in formation and my son said "Look: the planes are schooling!"
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:55
bscal Hobbyist Posts: 116 Kudos: 120 Votes: 5 Registered: 10-Jun-2004	Yes, technically, a school is all the same kind of fish, like the above example of neon tetras. On the other hand, if you have 8 cory cats in your tank grouped together and they are 3 different types of cories then they are shoaling. I have in my tank 2 peppered cories and 4 albinos and they hang out and play together all day, in a shoal. If I had only albinos then technically you could call them a school, even though they still don't exhibit the tight schooling behavior that you see in neon tetras. -Beth p.s. Interesting topic, btw.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:55


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