FRTing?
From Facebook post dated 28th February, 2018.
Ever wondered how shoals of fish school together? I mean these are thousands of fish that swim together in rapid, almost choreographed sequences. That’s like a subway station full of people that never bump into each other. So, how do they communicate with each other?
One of the most classic schooling fish, the herring, does this by what scientists call FRTs. FRT stands for Fast Repetitive Ticks, a rather unusual buzzing-popping sounds fish make. It wasn’t until scientists observed wild herrings that they realized that FRTs were actually ‘Farts’ (Nope! I’m not making this up!).The fish swallow air from the surface and emit it through a small opening near their anus. So thankfully these farts are not the result of digestive processes, and hence technically not flatulence!
Interestingly enough, these farts a.k.a. FRTs are neither alarm calls nor used in mating (as just about any female can tell you). It is now believed that herrings use these sounds to form protective shoals at night.
Can you imagine communicating with farts?
