Slime coat

An important part of fish anatomy, it serves many functions, depending on species, ranging from locomotion, care and feeding of offspring, to resistance against diseases and parasites.

[1] The mucin making up the slime coat is secreted by goblet cells in the fish's epidermis.

The slime coat of some fish aids in more efficient swimming by reducing drag,[5][6] attributed to the Toms effect.

In the absence of a stratum corneum, the slime coat serves to protect the fish from attack from harmful microorganisms.

[17] In pisciculture and fishkeeping, the slime coat is important to the health of fish,[18] particularly during transport which can cause damage to it.