Striped catfish stay coordinated to avoid predators and use barbels to find food

Striped Catfish🐟

Even in smaller groups, they stay tightly coordinated to reduce risk from predators
That synchronized movement comes from each fish reacting to its nearest neighbors in real time
They use barbels (whiskers) to detect food hidden in the sand, even when visibility drops
Feeding like this helps them cover ground efficiently without competing too aggressively with each other
Some species carry venomous spines, so they look calm… but they’re not completely harmless
Smaller schools often feel more controlled and deliberate compared to the chaos of massive shoals
That “one organism” illusion is a survival trick… confuse predators, stay alive

National Geographic