Earthsave Canada"[F]ish schools are not disorganized entities; they are highly ordered structures that are based upon simple yet consistent rules.
Through their memory, selective attention, leadership roles, and bodily interactions, fish have developed a system that is at once stable yet flexible."
How Do Thousands of Fish Turn at Once Without a Leader? Science Says It’s Stranger Than It Looks
Decades of research reveal fish schools operate on decentralized intelligence, with simple neighborly interactions dictating movement. Collective memory and temporary leadership, arising from cascades, allow for stability and predator response. Schooling also offers energy benefits through shared water currents, demonstrating a highly ordered, flexible system.