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Deepseawaters
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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.
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