Fishes in natural environments are often affected by food resources as a result of environmental and seasonal changes, and human activities. Feeding is a fundamental physiological function, which provides essential energy for the survival, growth, and reproduction of fishes. We selected juvenile Spinibarbus sinensis (Cyprinidae) to investigate the adaptive responses of energetic metabolism, fish behavior, and shoaling to food shortages and the possible interaction between energetic metabolism and physiology. We first measured the standard metabolic rate (SMR) and fish behavior (including boldness, exploration, and activity) of experimental fish before and after two weeks of treatment (food deprived or fed with maintenance rations). We also measured the schooling behavior (cohesion and coordination) of fish from both starvation and control groups at the end of experiment. The main results of this study are as follows:1) the SMR decreased significantly in both the starvation and control groups, whereas only the SMR of the food deprived group showed repeatability across the experiment; 2) starvation resulted in significant increases in both boldness and exploration; and 3) starvation elicited shorter individual distances among group members, but higher swimming speed and its synchronization. Therefore, the results of the present study suggested that:1) to maintain their energy balance, starved fish exhibited higher boldness and stronger exploration for more feeding opportunities, but decreased their maintenance metabolism for energy saving; and 2) starved fish shoaled with higher cohesion and coordination to improve their survival.