Paracheirodon innesi are capable of smooth evacuation from an emergency situation

Introduction

The study of collective animal movement, in this case, small neon tetras, can inspire ways to improve human crowd management.

Traditionally, emergency evacuations are prone to clogging. This results in a complete lack of fluidity, chaos, and in the worst cases, can even lead to fatalities.

Research on various animal species, including insects and mammals, reveals different evacuation procedures. The study conducted in this instance demonstrates how neon tetras can maintain fluidity even when faced with very narrow passages.

Methods

The experiment involved a standard aquarium setup where groups of neon tetras were guided to swim through openings of various sizes. The fish were monitored in a quasi-2D environment to simulate a narrow evacuation route. A camera was used to track and analyze the movement of each fish as efficiently as possible.

Results and Discussion

Neon tetras demonstrated the ability to maintain a consistent evacuation flow without the clogging that is relatively common in terrestrial animals.

This efficiency was attributed to the fish respecting a "social bubble," a social distance they maintain from each other. Because they did not violate this distance, there were no collisions or blockages.

When the size of the opening approached this distance, the density of the fish increased, but clogging still did not occur. The fish dynamically adjusted their positions in space, similar to deformable bubbles passing through, allowing them to continue to effectively navigate the restrictions.

Evacuation Dynamics

Analysis showed that the evacuation speed of the fish increased with larger openings and demonstrated a clear correlation between the size of the opening and the density of fish near the exit.

Based on the evacuation process, a model was described that could potentially be applied to human crowd management scenarios to increase the efficiency of navigating bottlenecks and prevent dangerous situations due to clogging.

Conclusion

This study provides valuable insights into the evacuation dynamics of neon tetras. It offers a basis for potential applications in managing human crowds during emergencies.

This means that understanding the evacuation strategies encoded in the general behavior of neon tetras can help establish strategies to improve safety measures for people in emergency situations as well.

This research adds a new dimension to understanding animal behavior in stressful situations and opens possibilities for interdisciplinary approaches to solving human problems through natural solutions.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-36869-9