This school of Atlantic horse mackerel is forming a bait ball. When surrounded by predators, such as the barracuda and bluefish seen here, the school will gather close together to expose the least number of individual fish. In the open ocean, without hiding places among kelp, coral, or coastal rocks, the bait ball will protect most of the smaller fish. Is this where the idea of ‘safety in numbers’ originates?
Mackerel forming a bait ball to avoid predators
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Bald cypress trees in Georgia
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These laurels are hardy
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Ambassadors of the airwaves
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Celebrating World Art Day
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Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington
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Nothing plain about it
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Atlanta Botanical Garden
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A bridge of Madison County
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Seventeen arches at sunset
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Exploring the wilder side of New York
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Happy New Year! (Again!)
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Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
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Longer days mean warmer sand
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Merry Christmas
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The mighty, mighty mushroom
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A tribute to the ancestors
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A festival of colors
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The Kelpies statues in Falkirk, Scotland
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A temple, preserved
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Busy building wetlands
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World Bamboo Day
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Noctilucent clouds
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International Day of the Tropics
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Floating temples in the Land of Smiles
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All Rhodes lead to the beach
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Rays on parade
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Wildebeests in Maasai Mara, Kenya
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International Day of Human Space Flight
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Art Basel Miami Beach
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It s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month