Ever heard of a fish tornado? Here is all you need to know 

What is your idea of a tornado? Well, it is a violent windstorm often characterised by a mobile, twisting, and funnel-shaped cloud. The strongest of swirling winds during a tornado become so potent that they wreck lives and property, inciting fear into even the bravest hearts. In fact, you can say that even the most daredevil storm chasers steer clear of a tornado.  

Now, tornado as we understand, happens on land. But what if we told you that it happens underwater too? Yes, that’s right, it is called a fish tornado. Curious to know more? Then keep your reading glasses on. 

First detected around jackfish 
In 2012, a California-based, Mexican-origin marine scientist and photographer named Octavio Aburto-Oropeza was studying the behaviour of several species of jackfish when his camera caught something that looked like a vortex formed by fishes at the Cabo Pulmo National Park in Mexico. Mesmerised by what he saw and captured, Aburto continued with his research. However, never again did he see something like before, until 2016.  

Okay, so what happened then? Turns out, Aburto was studying the unique courtship behaviour of a kind of fish called bigeye trevally when he by chance noticed another instance of a similar phenomenon. A large group of the fish (maybe in thousands) was swimming together, that too at a great pace and around one another. This created a sense of moving, swirling column of fish. Realising he had discovered a wonder from the marine world, Aburto named the phenomenon as a fish tornado.  

Marine biologists suggest that such kind of a behaviour is uncommon, although fishes are known to swim in groups and are thus called collectively as “a school of fish.”  

Interestingly, Aburto’s photograph of the first ever fish tornado was later titled as “David and Goliath.”  

Triggers behind a fish tornado 
First things first. For a school or a shoal of fish to be considered as a fish tornado, the fish needs to belong to a particular species, they should swim together at the same speed, in the same direction (usually clockwise) as well as turning and twisting at the same time. Now, as for the reasons why fish tornado is formed, firstly, it’s safer that way for small-sized fish and often help them in confusing and keeping potential predators at bay. It also enhances their chances at survival as opposed to being alone or in smaller groups. Moreover, experts believe that being a part of a fish tornado helps the fish to both forage food and find mates easily.  

Famous fish tornadoes in recent times 
In July 2022, a Japanese scuba diver and marine photographer named Tatsuro posted a video on Instagram of a fish tornado that became viral on the internet overnight amassing over 3.6 million views and more than 2.4 lakh likes in 3 days. Similarly, in 2017, in Mexico’s Sea of Cortex that is a gigantic column of tuna, an American marine biologist and photographer named Jack Young caught sight of tunas, three feet in length slowly swimming around in a circle, creating something like a vortex. Deemed as tuna tornado, the species did so as part of their reproductive behaviour. Unlike most fishes, tunas are known to mate outside their bodies, meaning they lay eggs and sperms within their school and them mingle to procreate. This phenomenon was later named as a tuna tornado.