Scanning microscopy of pharyngeal and oral teeth of the teleost Tilapia mossambica (Peters)

Abstract

The pharyngeal and oral teeth of the fish Tilapia mossambica (Peters) were examined with a scanning microscope. It appeared that the dorsal pharyngeal teeth form a peculiar hooklike extension at the tip, whereas the ventral pharyngeal teeth tend to curve in a posterior direction. The two lateral flanges at the tip of the ventral teeth are probably the areas of contact with the dorsal teeth when the latter are pressed down during sound production or feeding. However, the oral teeth develop along a different line. A part from villiform teeth the upper and lower jaws also develop tricuspid and bicuspid oral teeth, with the bicuspids concentrated mainly along the outer edge of the jaw.