image credit: Steve Dunleavy ccA bait ball occurs when small fish swarm in a tightly packed spherical formation about a common center. It is a last-ditch defensive measure when they are threatened by predators. Small schooling fish are eaten by many types of predators, and for this reason they are called bait fish or forage fish.
The photo above shows a bait ball of bigeye scad fish off the coast of Kona, Hawaii. The photo was taken by photographer Steve Dunleavy.
(via Twisted Sifter)
