Wednesday September 2, 2026
Phys —
Stickleback fish can change their social behavior to help them find food in cloudy water, according to a new University of Bristol study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Water in rivers and seas can vary from crystal clear to densely clouded. Turbidity, the cloudiness of water caused by small particles such as algae, mud and silt, is increasing in many rivers and coastal waters because of farming, mining, construction and other pollution. Because cloudy water reduces visibility, it can make it more difficult for aquatic animals to see their food, friends or enemies.
Researchers from Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences looked at how shoals of three-spined sticklebacks respond as their water becomes cloudier and observed their reactions when food suddenly appeared.
Sticklebacks are common freshwater fish and are often found in small shoals in ponds, streams and rivers across the Northern Hemisphere, where they can experience water that ranges from clear to deeply murky.