The right flick of the tail fin is the key to becoming leader of a school of fish. It says American scientists after receiving fish to follow a robot fish.  The result may be a new way to lead the fish away from pollution.

In a flume of Technology at New York University swimming robot fish. The fish is built by Stefano Marras and Maurizio Porfyn to study how schools of fish behave, and what factors cause them to form a school by following a particular fish.

The results of the studies show that in all cases not just the appearance.

When the robotic fish is placed in a shoal of roach (Notemigonus crysoleucas) did the first not at all about the foreign object. But when the frequency of the robot fish's tail and increased robotic fish's motion induced a hydrodynamically advantageous wave closed roach were behind the robot.  Also reduced the frequency of companions the tail kind, they did not exert themselves as much.

According to the team opens the performance of new methods of diverting fish and birds from dangerous environments such as oil spills.