The Fish That Hunts in Military Shifts

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]Sailfish hunt in rotating military shifts. [music] Each one waits its turn, attacks, then cycles to the back of the line.

[00:00:07]They are the only fish on Earth [music] known to do this.

[00:00:11]A group of sailfish will first herd thousands [music] of sardines into a tight, swirling ball near the surface, called a bait ball.

[00:00:19]The fish essentially build their own trap before a single strike is thrown.

[00:00:24]Then they attack [music] one at a time.

[00:00:26]Each sailfish peels off, slashes through the bait ball with its [music] 3-ft bill, stuns or impales a fish, and then drops to the back of the queue, letting the next sailfish take its turn.

[00:00:37]Researchers filmed this cycle repeating up to 70 times in a single hunt.

[00:00:43]Scientists believe they rotate because hitting a bait ball too fast [music] disrupts it. The sardines scatter and the hunt fails.

[00:00:50]By taking turns, sailfish maintain the [music] trap while each individual still gets a meal.

[00:00:56]It is coordinated patience.