Phase synchronization of fish schools through spatial gaps

Abstract

We investigate how sensory coupling mediates phase coherence between spatially separated, confined active systems. Using two fish schools separated by a water-filled transparent gap, we isolate vision as the primary interaction channel. Under boundary confinement, each school's center-of-mass heading exhibits noisy bistable dynamics, spontaneously switching between two antiparallel directions along the partition wall. Turning events in one school bias the orientation of the other, driving distance-dependent phase synchronization. We model this behavior using two coupled stochastic bistable oscillators whose exact solution quantitatively reproduces the empirical results. Our work establishes a precise connection between nonequilibrium active systems and coupled stochastic oscillators, offering insight into boundary-spanning information transfer in living collectives.