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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Aerial view of the Colorado River Delta in Mexico
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The moon rises for Mid-Autumn Festival
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Womens History Month
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World Population Day
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What s cuter than nuzzling rhinos?
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Fall color sweeps across the West
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Let’s talk fossils
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Killer whales in Spildra, Norway
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Daylight saving time
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Islands that turned the tide
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Swimming with the sea cows
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Full moon
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Patriot Day
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Huntington Beach Pier, California, at sunset
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Polar Bear Week
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Here comes summer
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Golden larches and Prusik Peak, the Enchantments, Washington
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Saint Andrews Day
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World Numbat Day
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Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
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In Texas, even the riverbend is big
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Looking down on the Otter
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A festival of lights in India
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Summer winds down in the Hamptons
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Taiwan yuhinas in Alishan National Scenic Area
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National Bison Month
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Point Reyes National Seashore, California
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Daylight saving time begins
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Eastern grey kangaroos in Australia’s Kosciuszko National Park
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An enduring vision