Artificial fish schools: Collective effects of school size, body size, and body form

Authored by Charlotte Hemelrijk, H Kunz

Date Published: 2003

DOI: 10.1162/106454603322392451

Sponsors: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

Individual-based models of schooling in fish have demonstrated that, via processes of self-organization. artificial fish may school in the absence of a leader or external stimuli, using local information only. We study for the first time how body size and body form of artificial fish affect school formation in such a model. For a variety of group sizes we describe how school characteristics (i.e., group form, spread, density, polarization, turning rate, and speed) depend on body, characteristics. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the nearest neighbor distance and turning rate of individuals are different for different regions in the group, although the agents are completely identical. Our approach shows the significance of both self-organization and embodiment in modeling of schools of artificial fish and, probably, in structuring schools of real fish.

Tags

Simulation Model Animal groups