A Fish That Saves Energy ZdS#14

The Youtube channel Zeste de science explores all aspects of scientific research, proving that even the most complicated scientific facts can be explained in less than 5 minutes, and that even the most seemingly trivial events of everyday life, if thoroughly studied, can contribute to the biggest technological advances.
Episode 14: Researchers in Paris are studying the collective behaviour of red-nose tetras, also known as Hemigrammus bleheri. They discovered that adopting the usual "diamond-like" formation when the fish swim in schools is not always the most energy-efficient solution. Red-nose tetras always swim against the tide, that is why a stronger tide requires extra effort. In such a case, they opt for a "phalanx-like" formation, swimming side by side. This pattern enables them to save energy and could later lead scientists to design little bio-inspired swimming robots.