Sharkskin = Swimsuit

Sharkskin is made up of countless overlapping scales called dermal denticles when we saw it under the electron microscope. The appearance of the denticles is they have grooves running down their length in alignment with water flow. The function of the denticles is to disrupt the formation of eddies or we called it as turbulent swirls of slow water which lead to higher speed of water. In fact, the rough shape also discourages parasitic growth such as algae and barnacles.
sharkskin
eddies
Scientists have been able to replicate the dermal denticles in the swimsuits and also the bottom of the ships or boats.  When cargo ships can squeeze out even a single percent in efficiency, they burn less bunker oil and don’t require cleaning chemicals for their hulls. Besides that, this sharkskin mechanism also applied to create surfaces in hospitals that resist bacteria growth since the bacteria can’t catch hold on the rough surface.
Sharkskin-inspired swimsuits received a lot of media attention during the 2008 Summer Olympics when the spotlight was shining on Michael Phelps. However, they are now banned in most of major competition.
sharkskin swimsuit
Reference: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/photos/7-amazing-examples-of-biomimicry/sharkskin-swimsuit

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