Book 6, Question 30
Why Are Fish Slippery?
Fish make a thin coat of slime called mucus. It helps them glide through water. It also blocks some germs and helps a fish slip out of a grab.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 6
More fun facts
- Fish are covered in a layer of slippery slime.
- A reef fish called the slippery dick got its name from the slippery mucus that helps it escape predators.
- Scientists swabbed slime from 17 kinds of young fish to study the bacteria living in it.
- Fish slime might help scientists find new medicines that fight germs.
- A huge dinosaur nicknamed the hell heron had cone-shaped teeth that fit together to trap slippery fish.
Sources: Science News Explores, Lamar, Smithsonian Magazine
Questions kids ask
Why is fish slime useful?
For some fish, slippery mucus helps them slip away from predators.