While shark teeth tend to get a lot of attention, it’s the teeth on their skin that you should brush up on! Shark skin is covered in tiny, flat pointed scales that are called dermal denticles—which literally means skin teeth. If you look at a shark’s skin under a microscope, you’ll see that the scales are a series of overlapping teeth that result in a rough texture.

These pointed scales reduce drag on sharks as they swim, making them stealthy and fast as they cut through the water. This jagged texture also keeps fouling animals (like barnacles) from being able to settle on their bodies and slow them down, which is helpful when you’re a speedy top predator. 

TLDR: sharks are covered in tiny teeth and this makes them better swimmers. How’s that for a tantalizingly toothsome fact?