The English language is a tricky beast, at times even for those for whom it is their native language. One of the most simple rules we learn for the English language is that an object can typically be pluralized simply by adding an ‘S’, as in crayon to crayons, finger to fingers, and so forth. Sometimes the base word itself changes slightly, such as woman to women and mouse to mice, but sometimes the word to describe a collective of things is another word entirely, which can seem completely unrelated to the original object. Groups of animals are commonly named strange things, like a murder of crows, and marine animals are likewise oddly named when they get together in multiples. Let’s check out 10 of the strangest marine animal collective names.
Battery
The barracuda is fearsome enough in its own right to have a kickin’ rock song written in its honor, which is why we think there is no more apt way to describe a group of barracuda than as a battery. When a battery of barracuda come through, you’d do well to step aside!
Wreck
Anywhere sea birds flock together it is sure to be a noisy, turbulent affair, which is why we have no trouble at all seeing why a gathering of sea birds is called a wreck! Could the term perhaps be a throwback to the piratey days of yore?
Lap
The cod is a rather well-known fish species, with several individual stocks found in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Cod is prized among piscivores for its mild flavor and dense, flaky white meat, but in the sea, it prefers to hang with other cod in a school, lazily patrolling the water column looking for an easy meal of crustaceans, mollusks, eels, worms, or smaller fish. Perhaps their laid-back ways are what led to groups of cod being called a lap.
Cast
Depending on what species you come across and how much you’re agitating them, you might end up in the hospital if you mess with a cast of crabs!
Troubling
We don’t really see what the big deal is, since the humble goldfish has been a beloved pet for people all over the world since time immemorial, but apparently if you get more than one goldfish together it’s a troubling matter.
Smack
We’ve heard groups of jellyfish referred to as a bloom or a swarm, which seems all too appropriate due to their billowing, ever-changing appearance underwater and their ability to sneak up on people unseen in large numbers. But we’re not too sure about the origin of smack, unless perhaps someone was referring to the sensation of a jelly’s sting.
Romp
Otters are right up there with dolphins and kittens as some of the world’s cutest mammals, with their delightful hand-holding, aquatic tricks, and playful personalities, which is why it isn’t hard at all to see how a group of otters came to be called a romp.
Crowd
We’re glad that many cetaceans, including porpoises, are known to travel in groups, because anytime there’s more than one porpoise in the group, it’s always going to be a crowd.
Fever
If you’re a stingray fact achiever, then you may already know that a group of stingrays is called a fever!
Shiver
Large aggregations of sharks are commonly referred to as schools, but we think shiver is a much more appropriate way to describe a group of sharks!
