|
Deepseawaters
Home Deep
Sea FAQDo fish chew their food?
Do fish chew their food?
Not
in the human manner. Carnivorous fish like sharks
use their sharp teeth to seize and hold prey while swallowing
it whole or in large pieces. Bottom dwellers such
as rays are equipped with large flat teeth that crush the
shellfish they consume. Herbivorous fish
(grazers) often lack jaw teeth, but have tooth-like grinding
mills in their throats, called pharyngeal teeth. Fish would
suffocate if they tried to chew, for chewing would interfere
with the passage of water over the gills, necessary for obtaining
oxygen.
|
