The histological structure of upper-and lower-jaw teeth of
Sicyopterus japonicus, a fish known to exhibit rock-climbing behavior, were examined by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.
The upper jaw teeth and the lower jaw teeth were entirely different in form. The characteristics of the upper jaw teeth were that the enameloid constituting the tip of the tooth had a shovel-like shape and that there were many eruptive teeth behind each of which lay a large number of successional teeth ready for continuous replacement. The shape of the enameloid was suited to the work of scraping algae from the surface of stones. The lower jaw teeth had a hinged structure.
It was suggested that the forms of teeth in
Sicyopterus japonicus were the result of the fish's adaptation to its feeding habit, rather than its rock-climbing nature.
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