Discovering New Armor by Taking Lessons from Prehistoric Fish

Function

The “Polypterus senegalus” are freshwater fish from Africa that can be traced back to prehistoric times, up to 96 million years ago. It is sometimes called the "dinosaur eel" in Japan because it looks like it is entirely covered in armor - which it is. The armor helps the fish fight against predators, defend its territory, and protect its soft interior during attacks, when it is bitten by carnivores often larger than itself. The secret of this fish’ strong defense comes from the structure of its scales. One scale is 500μm in thickness, comprised of 4 layers of different materials with varying levels of hardness that creates a laminated structure that can disperse the impact of bites, thereby protecting the soft body underneath the scales. The outer layer is the hardest, withstanding the impact of bites from the sharp teeth of predators, whereas the middle part of the layer is softer and more malleable, like plywood, and serves to absorb and disperse the pressure from attacks. This strong, laminated structure allows the fish to minimize damage suffered from attacks, and is very similar to abalone’s non-crackable shells.

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Efficiency(Energy Saving, Resource Saving, Light):
High intensity

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Proposals of Applied Technology

This mechanism of Polypterus senegalus’ laminated scales can be utilized to develop new bulletproof vests to protect the safety of soldiers on battlefields, as well as the exterior of military vehicles and ships, aircraft, spacecraft, space stations, and satellites, all of which are vulnerable to damage from bullets or high-speed space debris. We could learn a lot about the evolution of fish by focusing on how the fish scales form and developed into their laminated structure. We could also use that information to create lightweight, highly durable armor that can withstand the high impact from attacks.

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