This is based on something I observed several times a couple years ago back when I had minnows in my 55. (it stopped when larger fish were introduced making the minnows cower on one side for safety, and since I moved them to my 29 which has less movement room I have yet to see it again).
But back when I had my minnows in my 55 I would on occasion see what I would call a minnow procession. All the minnows in the tank (including the non native chinese algea eater) would school up and move as one.
Usually when this wasn't happening they'd roam all over the tank, or a dominant minnow would claim part of the tank while the rest swam elsewhere.
How does a minnow signal others to school up? Why does this signal affect other species including a non native?
The Schooling Signal
Started by
Guest_FirstChAoS_*
, Dec 20 2011 12:03 PM
5 replies to this topic
#2
Michael Wolfe
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- Board of Directors
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- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 20 December 2011 - 12:25 PM
The best schooling I ever saw was in a tank with a group of minnows and a single scuplin.
They schooled for protection from the small predator... yes, with a larger predator, they just get pushed to the side... but with the little guy, they formed a school...
Also with minnows it seems that some of the schooling is driven by orientation into the current... in tanks with less current they seem to just wander about... when there is more current they orient into it more strongly... I think mostly because shiners are pigs and cannot pass up a free meal... even a potential free meal... and they always think that the current will bring them a meal...that's the way it works in the stream.
As far as how they do it, certainly lateral line is an important part of how they perceive the world and how they manage things like other moving objects in the stream.
They schooled for protection from the small predator... yes, with a larger predator, they just get pushed to the side... but with the little guy, they formed a school...
Also with minnows it seems that some of the schooling is driven by orientation into the current... in tanks with less current they seem to just wander about... when there is more current they orient into it more strongly... I think mostly because shiners are pigs and cannot pass up a free meal... even a potential free meal... and they always think that the current will bring them a meal...that's the way it works in the stream.
As far as how they do it, certainly lateral line is an important part of how they perceive the world and how they manage things like other moving objects in the stream.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#3
Guest_farmertodd_*
Guest_farmertodd_*
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#6
Guest_Ken_*
Guest_Ken_*
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Posted 21 December 2011 - 01:12 PM
Yep, they all group up and move across the tank as one group.
They are in the current. Waiting for food to come by. The current actually starts behind them in the rear of the tank and it circles around. Usually the killies (blackstripe topminnow and N. studfish) stay in the back above the stronger current but will join in the front if they think the shiners and minnows know something they don't.... At least that's what it seems to be.
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