Palina Bartashevich

Abstract Animal collectives can exhibit striking synchrony in behavior even when members differ consistently among each other when alone. While synchrony in collective movements or signaling as found in schooling fish or flashing fireflies is well-studied, these behaviors typically do not require individuals to compromise physiological needs when adjusting direction, speed, or timing, as they are generally almost cost-free to produce.

Abstract Animal collectives are capable of performing behaviors with high degrees of synchrony though their members might differ consistently and substantially in the focal behavior when alone. It is thus not entirely understood how these consistent differences in behavior at the individual level can be (socially) integrated into synchronized behaviors at the collective level. Here we show an unprecedented synchronized behavior in fish - the collective air-breathing of juvenile Arapaima gigas.

Abstract The collective dynamics of self-organised systems emerge from the decision rules agents use to respond to each other and to external forces. This is evident in groups of animals under attack from predators, where understanding collective escape patterns requires evaluating the risks and rewards associated with particular social rules, prey escape behaviour, and predator attack strategies.