# Fish Smell

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-smell/46648>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 21, 2000, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-smell/46648 "2000-12-21T03:48:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-smell/46648/1 "2000-12-21T03:48:58Z")

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A guy I know wears gloves when he is fishing to ensure that he doesn’t get any oil from his skin on the lure or the line. He’s fairly successful. Can fish smell?

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**Author:** ![MarkyDeSade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@MarkyDeSade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkyDeSade)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-smell/46648/2 "2000-12-21T04:13:53Z")

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Yes, fish can smell. I imagine their gills can detect scents the same way your nose can (but not mine - I have a cold). That’s why sharks can “smell” and are attracted to chum in the water.

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**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-smell/46648/3 "2000-12-21T04:30:16Z")

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Can’t claim excessive knowledge here, but I know that fish and sharks are pretty different from each other in a lot of other ways. I imagine, though, that their “smell” is more of a “taste”.

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**Author:** ![Pergau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7c8e57/32.png) [@Pergau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pergau)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-smell/46648/4 "2000-12-21T13:52:21Z")

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And I thought this was a rude thread.

or at least about bakelite.

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**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-smell/46648/5 "2000-12-21T14:11:30Z")

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If you leave a fish out in the sun for a few hours, it’ll smell a great deal. :D:D

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**Author:** ![G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-smell/46648/6 "2000-12-21T14:26:42Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by aynrandlover \*  
> **I know that fish and sharks are pretty different from each other in a lot of other ways.**

You must be using some definition of “fish” other than the one I am, because as far as I know, sharks _are_ fish.