Reaching unofficial speeds around 60mph, a swordfish can impress almost anyone with its great speed. Scientists recently have identified one aspect of the fish that may contribute to this ability. A specific type of oil is secreted and covers the head of the fish allowing it to be even more hydrodynamic than originally designed.
Dutch researchers examining two frozen swordfish discovered that there is an oil-producing gland at the base of the sword, connected by capillaries to pores in the skin of the head.Scientists believe that this advantage assists the speed of the swordfish by 20%. The oil is secreted from the glands as the water goes past the skin of the fish giving it the advantage it needs to escape a predator and catch its prey!
It would be interesting to see if they take this research and attempt to apply it to human competitive swimmers somehow increasing their speed!
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