New insights into patterns and rates of tooth replacement in serrasalmid and characid fishes, with implications for the subsistence fishery of Peru's remote ribereños villages.

Abstract

We explored patterns, rates and unexpected socio-ecological consequences of tooth replacement in serrasalmids and characids of the Peruvian Amazon using microcomputed tomography. Of 24 specimens collected in February 2019, representing a mix of red-bellied piranha Pygocentrus nattereri, redeye piranha Serrasalmus rhombeus, silver dollar fish Ctenobrycon hauxwellianus and mojara Astyanax abramis, six individuals possessed edentulous jaw quadrants. On average, 22.9% of fish collected per day from these species featured incomplete dentition, a value three to five times higher than anticipated based on replacement rates estimated from captive fish, differences that may be driven by ontogeny, seasonality or environmental quality.