# briefing

FISH NEED FRIENDS

Fish feed more when they are surrounded by other fish, says a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers made a detailed and complex analysis of fishes’ behaviour on a number of sites in French Polynesia, and found that they not only grazed more when there were other fish present, but that some activities (such as movement between patches of reef) were influenced by the behaviour of other fish.

The study drew two important conclusions: One, fish appear to feel that they are safer