How do anchovy schools ensure that fish throughout the group get opportunities to feed?

To ensure that fish throughout the group have equal opportunities to feed, anchovy schools utilize a rotating movement pattern. If the school were to swim in a straight line, the individuals at the front would consume the majority of available food, leaving those in the rear to starve.

To prevent this, the fish at the vanguard of the school turn back toward the flanks and gradually move to the rear of the group. This process is continuously repeated, allowing each fish to take a turn at the front of the school where feeding is most efficient. These maneuvers are executed with such precision that the school appears to move as a single, coordinated organism rather than a collection of individuals.1