We end up with a group of large predator vortices preying on smaller ones, which in turn prey on smaller ones still, forming a food chain of vortices.

You have a large vortex spinning around, with a smaller one inside. The large vortex has a shearing effect on the smaller one, like cake batter being stirred. The large-scale vortex acts like a giant mixer, stretching and thinning out the smaller one, transferring its energy into the larger vortex. The large-scale vortex actually acts like a vampire, sucking the energy out of the smaller one.

We went into this with an open mind, but we found that the popular idea of mergers was not correct. We found that such mergers are very rare.

a small group of nefarious individuals preying on the weak.

When I was a kid, I was afraid of large group of conforming people.

So, naturalists observe, a flea - Hath smaller fleas that on him prey; And these have smaller still to bite 'em; And so proceed ad infinitum