Do Fish Have Teeth?

Do Fish Have Teeth?

 

Recently I was out fishing with a couple of friends.

And my friend got bitten by one fish. He was really surprised and didn’t expect it all. So we wondered do fish really have teeth? We decided to do a little research and here’s what we found.

Do fish have teeth?

All fish have teeth. The type, structure, and position of the teeth vary in the different species and depending on what kind of food they eat. Carnivorous fish have teeth that are adapted for hunting and eating other fish. Herbivorous fish have teeth adapted for chewing through, crushing, and eating plants and other vegetation.

Okay, but I have some aquarium fish at home. And it seems that they fall into that category as well – but they are so small I never realized it. So even more questions arose in my mind.

Do All Fish Really Have Teeth?

If you have watched movies you will definitely associate the words “fish” and “teeth” with at least two very famous types of fish, namely – piranhas and sharks. Every scary movie has them. And even dolphins have teeth and they use them not just for eating but for asserting dominance as well.

That is not the whole story though. The thing is that all types of fish have some kind of teeth. The major determining factor as to what type of teeth they develop is the type of food they eat. The food will also determine the actual placement of the teeth and they can be found in different places as we are going to see later in this article.

• Carnivorous fish, for example, have sharp teeth that are intended to easily pierce or cut through the flesh of their prey, and once caught hold on to it, and eat it.
• Herbivorous fish eat mostly plants, foliage, and algae. Their teeth are designed to cut through the vegetation, and break it down by grinding it with their teeth in order to be able to properly digest it.

Aquarium fish can be carnivorous, herbivorous, or even omnivorous. Since most pet fish are so small we can easily fail to notice that they actually have some very tiny teeth. Because of that some of the tank fish might not be suitable to be kept together. Herbivorous pet fish are kept for cleaning the algae in the tank and are probably the most peaceful ones.

Do Fish Have Similar Teeth to Humans?

Fish can have several different types of teeth. Some of their teeth can vary and develop in different ways, even if they have the same purpose. However, some fish can have teeth that resemble human teeth!

Here are the most common types of fish teeth that can be found:

• Typically predator fish have canine teeth that look a lot like a cone that can be straight or curved. These types of teeth resemble the teeth that can be found in humans and dogs.
• Some species of fish can have molars, too. Molars can be found in some of the bottom-feeding fish. Molars are flat and broad perfect for crushing food like snails, molluscs, and tiny crabs.
• Incisors – are another type of teeth that some herbivorous fish have. They can vary greatly in type and shape. They can even resemble the incisors humans have.
• Some fish technically have no teeth in their mouths – rather they have pharyngeal teeth (i.e. pharyngeal mill). They might not necessarily be considered normal teeth but more of a type of teeth. They are found on the last gill arch – in the throat – and are used for crushing and grinding the food.

The position of the teeth can vary greatly too – they can be positioned on the palate, both jaws, on just the upper or lower jaw, on the lips, in the throat, in the mouth, and on the tongue.

What Is the Largest Fish Tooth Ever Found?

Okay, this gets really interesting now. Are you a fan of “Jaws“? Then you will like this one

Talking about fish and teeth it is only natural to wonder, how big actual fish teeth can get?

Enter the Megalodon!

The largest fish tooth ever found belongs to a Megalodon. This is a type of shark that could reach lengths of around 60 to 70 feet and it could weigh more than 60 tons. Now we are talking real big! It is 3 times bigger than the Great White it is also considered the largest predator to ever live on the Earth.

The Megalodon’s teeth were typically about 4 to 5 inches long. But the largest tooth to be ever found is a massive 7.48 inches long.

What Aquarium Fish Have Teeth?

Pet fish can appear small, nice, and cuddly but not so fast!

Aquarium fish have teeth as well. But just because you have sharp teeth doesn’t mean you are bad company, right? Some of them are very social in their nature. Even their health depends on being together in, sometimes, a very large group of at least 10.

Some examples of such fish are:

• Bettas
• Tetras
• Loaches
• Oscars
• Discus

Not all aquarium fish can coinhabit. Although they can be amazing pets some of these species are best kept alone as they can be very aggressive predators and hunt other fish in the tank. Leaving them together, you are risking getting the rest of your fish turning into a tasty meal.

Such fish are:

• Pufferfish
• Butterflyfish
• The red belly piranhas
• Arowana

Do Fish Lose Their Teeth?

They actually do! Although there is a big difference between the way fish lose teeth compared to humans.

For example, sharks are shedding their teeth on a continual basis throughout their whole lifetime. They can break off due to getting stuck in their prey or just by getting damaged from use.

Sharks don’t fear losing their teeth like us though, as it is a normal process for them. Some sharks can lose up to 35 000 teeth in their lifetime while continually replacing them with new ones.

Interestingly enough, they have several rows of teeth organized like a conveyor belt that will replace any tooth that has fallen off.

With all these sharks constantly losing their teeth, no wonder why people are collecting shark teeth.

What Fish Has the Scariest Teeth?

Maybe the first thing that springs to your mind is the piranha?

Piranhas are famous for their sharp teeth which can be very dangerous. You definitely don’t want them biting you. They are actually omnivorous but are infamous for their appetite for meat. They can even eat other piranhas too if there is a severe lack of food.

But I feel like there are other species that will definitely send some chills down your spine.

Here Are the Top 3 Fish That Have Scary Teeth:

1. The Anglerfish

Do you remember “Finding Nemo”? There was this big and scary fish that was using its luminous emitting lure in order to lure in other fish and eat them. That was an Anglerfish.

They are as carnivorous as one can get. Their teeth resembling long fangs that are pointed inwards are designed for one purpose only – capturing its prey and leaving it no way to escape.

They might not be one of the largest fish out there as their length can vary from 0.8 inches up to 7 inches (and in rare cases up to 3.3 feet).

It might not sound too impressive, but you definitely want to stay away from them.

2. The Goliath Tigerfish

Goliath Tigerfish can make piranhas look like amateurs.

To begin with, they are huge – reaching more than 6 feet in length and weighing up to 70 pounds. They have enormous sharp canine teeth that can be at least 2 inches long.

They are fierce predators and will eat any fish they can. There are even reports of them attacking humans.

3. The Sloane’s Viperfish

This little monster is going to terrify you.

Probably one of the weirdest looking fish out there. It has one of the largest teeth compared to the size of its head. Yeah, sharks and whales have big teeth too, but they are also big themselves.

The Sloane’s Viperfish have a luminous lure that it uses to attract other fish. At which point its large teeth help it impale or trap its prey and eat it.

Thankfully, they a deep-sea fish so the chances of running into one are very slim.