It’s often claimed most fishes are “social” at some point in their lives. Try tracing that claim back and it gets a bit… thin. ShoalBase aims to categorise fish social behaviour across species & contexts. Upcoming Info session + shoalathon (Apr 15, 14:00 UK) Register: forms.gle/br7WDVLUQh9X...

Our new interactive phylogeny explorer let's you explore the evolution of fish social behaviour. Instantly plot and calculate evolutionary signals, select social categories, and choose data filters. Have a play and examine other evolutionary questions!

ShoalBase now includes 373 submissions, 286 species, and 45 countries. But that still covers only 0.8% of global fish diversity! A reminder of how much fish social behaviour remains undocumented or scattered across sources. Contributions are easy and always welcome!

ShoalBase submission is a few simple steps and only takes a minute or two! Observations from fieldwork, aquaria, research, fisheries, or diving, or can be entered quickly. Many fish species have no social behavioural information available, so even a single observation can help fill an important gap.

We’ve added a new interactive and zoomable Phylogeny Explorer to shoalbase.org! You can visualise social systems directly across the tree of life. Colour tips by dominant behaviour, explore circular/linear layouts, and see evolutionary patterns & data gaps.

An early ShoalBase snapshot of global fish social systems: from solitary species to shoals, schools, colonies, spawning aggregations & parental care. This figure exists because people shared their observations! Explore the data and help build the global map of fish social behaviour!: shoalbase.org

Want research experience? We're recruiting volunteer student interns to help build ShoalBase, a global database of fish social behaviour. Gain experience in literature synthesis, database building & comparative ecology. Strong contributors: acknowledgment, references, project pathways. DM for more!

Know a paper that classifies or describes the social system of a fish species, even in passing (solitary, shoaling, schooling, etc.)? Adding a citation to ShoalBase is key for centralising this knowledge! www.shoalbase.org/contribute

Observation of the Week! In coastal Spain, adult Diplodus vulgaris were seen forming shoals over benthic habitat at ~20°C. Every record like this helps us map social systems across species. Contribute yours (with or without photo or video) at shoalbase.org! Observation by @cortesedaphne.bsky.social

Another day, another chance to fill in a missing piece of the puzzle. Every single entry helps build the first global picture of fish social systems. Contribute here: shoalbase.org!

If you’ve ever watched fish, you have knowledge worth sharing! Help us map the social systems of 35,000+ species. Contribute a record here, it only takes a minute!: shoalbase.org

Published records of fish social systems are valuable, but often lost in the literature; informal observations can fill gaps. ShoalBase can centralise literature and log new observations so patterns become visible. Know a paper? Please add it! Seen a behaviour? Please add that too! shoalbase.org

Help spread the word!

A global database that records social systems of fish species, with categories like: solitary, pairing, shoaling, schooling, colony, aggregation, courtship/mating, parental care. Anyone can contribute! If you’ve seen fish behaviour that fits any of these categories, submit it here: shoalbase.org