* Transverse waves require a medium to have shear strength, meaning it can resist a force that tries to deform it by changing its shape. Think of a guitar string - the wave travels perpendicular to the string's direction. Fluids lack this shear strength. They flow easily, and their molecules can't maintain a fixed shape.

* Longitudinal waves travel parallel to the direction of the disturbance. Imagine compressing a spring - the compression travels along the spring. In fluids, sound waves are a classic example of longitudinal waves. The compression and expansion of the fluid particles travel through the medium, carrying the wave energy.

Exceptions:

* Surface waves on fluids are a combination of longitudinal and transverse motion. While the particles primarily move in circles (a mix of both directions), the wave itself travels along the surface.

* In very specific circumstances, some fluids can exhibit a limited ability to support transverse waves. This is usually only possible in highly viscous fluids or in situations with strong external forces.

In summary:

Fluids generally transmit longitudinal waves, with the exception of surface waves. They do not typically transmit transverse waves because of their lack of shear strength.