A shoal is a group of fish.
Before proceeding to determine the meaning of the term shoal , it is necessary to establish its etymological origin. In this case, it must be stated that it is a word of Galician-Portuguese origin, since it derives from "cardume", which is used to refer to a group of fish.
That word is the result of the sum of two clearly delimited parts:
-The noun "carda", which refers to a brush with wire spikes that can resemble a set of fish.
-The suffix «-ume».
What is a shoal
Cardumen is a collective noun : a word that, in the singular, refers to a set of elements. In this case, the concept refers to a group of fish .
For example: "I suggest you fish further north: there you will find a large school of silversides" , "The boy was surprised to see the school in the lake" , "There is not a school in this river!" "I think we're going to go hungry today."
It can be said that a shoal is a school of fish . However, the notion of school is usually used to refer to a group of fish that belong to the same species and swim in a synchronized manner. Schools, on the other hand, can be made up of fish of different species.
Various biological factors lead to the development of a school.
How are these groups formed?
The formation of schools obeys several biological criteria. When fish move together, they improve their defense against potential predators and, in turn, increase their own chances of obtaining food. By forming a school, the fish can also find companions more easily.
The fact that the fish swim synchronously and move together makes the school a kind of unit. That is to say: beyond being made up of hundreds or thousands of individual specimens, the shoal seems to act as a single organism.
One of the most curious facts about the school is that it is considered that by moving in this way the fish manage to save energy and effort. Specifically, each fish, by taking advantage of the waves caused by the one in front of it by its movement, will have to make less effort. Exactly the studies carried out in this regard indicate that it allows each individual to save up to 65% of energy.
Other uses of the term shoal
It should be noted that, in some countries, an accumulation or agglomeration of elements is called a shoal, according to what was stated by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) in its dictionary: «A shoal of technological companies settled in the city thanks to the tax benefits» , «The festival will feature performances by a school of international stars» .
In the same way, we cannot ignore that Cardumen is the name of a digital marketing company that is specialized in aspects such as web development, branding and content, digital transformation, SEO, SEM or strategy. digital.
There is also Cardumen Capital , which is a Spanish fund that is responsible for investing in companies of different types, specifically those related to the field of technology, such as those that revolve around artificial intelligence.