[en] We have developed a video tracking system in order to determine all the trajectories of young fish (Oreochromis niloticus L.) within a school. Both individual and collective behaviours have been studied as a function of the number of fish per unit area. By studying distributions of distances between fish and distributions of relative orientations, structural effects and cooperative motions have been evidenced. Signatures of a phase transition have been found, as predicted by some numerical models. This work opens new perspectives in the study of collective phenomena in biological systems since it is the first time that such measurements are possible.
Research center :
Unité Biologie du comportement: Laboratoire d'éthologie des poissons et des Amphibiens Group for Research and applications in Statistical Physics
Disciplines :
Life sciences: Multidisciplinary, general & others
Author, co-author :
Becco, Christophe ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de physique > Département de physique
Vandewalle, Nicolas ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de physique > Physique statistique
Delcourt, Johann ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences et gestion de l'environnement > Biologie du comportement - Ethologie et psychologie animale
Poncin, Pascal ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences et gestion de l'environnement > Biologie du comportement - Ethologie et psychologie animale
Language :
English
Title :
Experimental evidences of a structural and dynamical transition in fish school
Publication date :
2006
Journal title :
Physica A. Statistical Mechanics and its Applications
ISSN :
0378-4371
eISSN :
1873-2119
Publisher :
Elsevier
Volume :
367
Pages :
487-493
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE]
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