Close-up of the school. How many fish do you see? |
Blueback herring, Alosa aestivalis, have been a staple of the Schooling exhibit, showcasing the ability of a fish species to act as one collective unit. After a recent group of herring grew too big for the exhibit, they were moved to a larger exhibit at the Montreal Biodome (where some of our young researchers studied wolffish). This made way for a new school!
How do you move approximately 2,500 fish from one tank to another? With lots of help! Fortunately, the holding tank and exhibit are only a few short steps away from each other, making the process a little easier. Two aquarists would gather small batches of fish inside the holding tank. Once a batch was collected, the fish were transferred in bags to a waiting group of helpful staff and volunteers. With some quick, careful steps the fish were at their final destination.
Ready to move! |
Once the humans, and the fish, reached the exhibit, the bags of fish were gently lowered into the water. In position, the bags were opened and the new inhabitants would be off—the fish quickly swimming to join the rest of the school. It was then back to the holding tank to repeat the process many times over!
And they are off! |
It was amazing to see the new school come
together! The herring seamlessly swam together, acting as a united group. And
as they are still growing, Aquarium visitors will have lots of time to see this
new shimmering blur of herring, swimming past the window in the newly stocked
Schooling exhibit!
The new herring getting used to their new home! |
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