🤯 Did You Know (click to read)
Shark dermal denticles are so effective at reducing drag that engineers study them to inspire performance swimwear and ship coatings.
Basking sharks are covered in dermal denticles, tiny tooth-like structures embedded in their skin that reduce hydrodynamic drag. These microscopic scales channel water flow efficiently across a body that can exceed 10 meters in length.
💥 Impact (click to read)
Without drag-reducing skin, pushing a multi-ton body through seawater would demand far greater energy expenditure. The denticles function like advanced aerodynamic paneling on aircraft, minimizing turbulence while the shark cruises vast distances at slow but steady speeds.
This biological surface engineering allows one of the largest fish on Earth to maintain energy efficiency while filtering immense volumes of plankton. The adaptation highlights how even ocean giants depend on microscopic structural precision to survive in a dense, resistant medium.
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