Loaches Online Forum

If you have a group of clowns - more than 3 what is it called? Is it a school of clowns, a shoal, a circus, a pod . I hope its something cool like a murder of ravens - I think it should be a massive or troupe of clowns.

I vote for 'circus' of clowns

So do I Shari, how we do convince everyone else?

The amount of humor varies from the individual to the individual.

...............Like us humans Graeme

The defenition of "Shoal" is : "A large school of fish or other marine animals."

So a school is just a small shoal? ......Size matters

There's a way old thread on Clown noise production where we likened their vocal communication with Whale pods, so maybe that works?

http://aquaweb.pair.com/forums/archives ... ?read=2858

I like "Circus", but "Troupe" also has its merits.

A "Massive" sound a bi' Ali-G like innit? Aiyyyy.

Martin.

Nah, sorry guys, have to disagree!
For my Clowns, they could only be described as a 'bundle' !!!!

Emma

I like "bundle" Emma but since I only have 6 maybe a clique of clowns for small groups.
Nancy

Emma, that looks more like a 'heap'

I vote for troupe. Since clowns travel in groups have a " sense" of humor (anthropomorphizing?) and seem to like to entertain anybody who will watch them. Just like a travelling circus with clowns.
nahnana
erik

How about a clump of clowns?

A flux of clown loaches. A strut. A tumult. A flourish of clowns....

A stab of sids, a cloister of Beaufortias, a rite of kuhlis....

A snap of Yoyos, a pixel of B. kubotai....

A bar of striatas.

I like a "circus" of clowns, myself.
How about a pack of sids, a pile of pulchras,and a knot of kuhli's?

Or a flutter of Hillstreams?

Could not resist the temptation...

Regardless of the word chosen, there is a justification for a different word for at least clowns.

A clown "shoal" is different in nature from shoals of, say, tetras or rasboras.

1 It has a complex hierarchy, with a clear leader.
2 Static defense is not the only reason for shoaling. While other fish will shoal largely to respond to an external thread, clowns are not motivated in this way. If I put my hand into the rasbora's tank I see a nice shoal; when I do it with clowns, they run away or hide or (now) come out to check if this is food-related....just not shoal.
Probably there is a 3 too...

If there is another loach that shoals in the "clown way" (sids? darios? skunks? -- never had these but possibly one of these has a somewhat similar pattern), the same term should be used for them.

As for "circus" vs "troupe": while I've tried to promote "circus" before (the very end of this thread), "troupe" seems to be a bit better. I've seen clowns forming an "active defense formation" and the slight military tint of "troupe" appears more relevant than the disorder of circus.


Knot for khulis is quite good.

Have to agree that 'knot' of khulis is really good

Troupe has no military connotations in my mind...now, troop, on the other hand...