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
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International Polar Bear Day
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Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
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Rumelihisarı in Istanbul, Türkiye
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Yellow-eyed penguins, Moeraki, New Zealand
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Winter scenery near Kuhmo, Finland
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Nha Phu Bay, Nha Trang, Vietnam
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Stari Most in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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The parenting of a piping plover
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Sea Slug Day
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Hello, spring!
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Celestial Spain
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Why you should thank a nurse today
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Cape Town at dusk
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Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
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A glittering diamond in the rough
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An avian predator built for the snow
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Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
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International Day of Color
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Jasper Dark Sky Festival
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Into the woods
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Legacy mural in Philadelphia
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The Bazaruto Archipelago of Mozambique
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Heceta Head Light, Florence, Oregon
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National Park Service Founders Day
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An ancient sailing tradition takes to the water
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Star Wars Day
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Cuban tody, Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, Cuba
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World Children s Day
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The forecast calls for blooms
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National Rivers Month