88 PERCOIDS.
The largest and most fully developed teeth of the Siluroids, as
those of the Platystoma, present under the microscope a modification of
the reticulo-medullary type of structure, which nearly resembles that
of the salmon and the pike : the meshes of the anastomosing medullary
canals being open, pretty regular, and either subcircular or
polygonal. • The thin outer crust of the tooth is traversed by minute
calcigerous tubes, having the usual direction vertical to the surface.
C H A P T E R V.
T E E TH OF THE C T E N O I D FISHES.
PERCOIDS. . 4 '•
34. A lth o u g h the fishes of the present tribe are of predatory and
voracious habits, like the common perch—their type, yet their
teeth are never developed to any considerable size, but in all the
species are small, numerous, and closely aggregated, resembling the
plush or pile of velvet. In the perch, ('Perea fluviatilisj, there is a
broad band of these teeth ‘ en velours,’ on each of the intermaxillaries
and premandibulars, a narrow band on each palatine, and across the
fore part of the vomer; a small patch of similar teeth is also present
on the anterior extremity of each external pterygoid, or transverse
bone, which is a rare locality for teeth. There is a series of small
plates armed with similar villiform teeth along the concave surface
of each of the branchial arches; and the exposed surfaces of
the upper and lower pharyngeal bones are entirely covered with
them. The points of these minute denticles are all turned towards
the gullet; and thus, although none of the teeth are sufficiently
developed to kill by piercing or laceration, they all combine to hold,
to crush and to aid in the deglutition of a living prey.
In the genus Labrax, besides the localities above mentioned, the
tongue is covered with villous teeth.
In the Etelis, there is a row of moderately long, recurved, conical
en crochet, et suspendues chacune par un pédicule flexible, dentition dont il n’y a point d’autre
example connu.”— Cuvier, Règne A nim , ii, p. 294,
PERCOIDS. 89
teeth on the intermaxillary and premandibular bones, besides the
villous teeth in the ordinary situations.
In the Lucio-perca, a row of longer pointed teeth are intermixed
with the villous teeth of both the maxillary and palatine bones ; they
are most developed in the lower jaw and the palatine. There are no
linguTalh tee eEthn.oplose of New Holland, (Chcetodon armatus, Shaw),
instead of the hair-like teeth of the genus to which it was originally
referred, has a narrow band of villous teeth on each intermaxillary,
premandibular and palatine bone, and a small transverse band upon
the vomer; the tongue is also similarly armed at its base ; the rest of
the organization of this fish is in like manner conformable to the
percoVidil ltoyupse . teeth constitute the only armour of the mouth, according
to Cuvier, in the Percoid genera, Apogon, Cheilodipterus,
Pomatomus, Anabassis, Aspro, Grammistes, Acernia, Polyprion, Pen-
taceros, Centropristis, Grystes, Rypticus, Chironemus, Centrarchus,
Pomotis, Priacanthus, Dules, Therapon, Datnia, Pelates, Helotes and
PolynIenm tuhse. Uranoscopus, the mouth is cleft in the vertical direction
behind and nearly parallel with the anterior facet of its cubical head.
The teeth of the upper jaw (intermaxillaries) are villiform and arranged
in three rows, the middle ones of the posterior row being the largest.
In the lower jaw there are six large conical teeth on each side, set wide
apart in a single row, with some villiform teeth in the middle. The
vomer has a small band of villiform teeth on each of its anterior
angles; the palatines are armed with somewhat larger teeth; the
tongue and branchial arches are edentulous ; the pharyngeal bones
have rasp-like teeth.
The Mullet and Surmullet (Mullus barbatus and Surmuletus) are
but feebly provided with teeth ; the intermaxillaries and palatine bones
are edentulous ; there is a narrow band of villiform teeth on the lower
jaw ; and a large oval plate covered with a pavement of small obtuse
teeth on the vomer. The Upeneus vittatus, or Mullus vittatus of
Forskael, has villous teeth like the Percoids, on the intermaxillary,
premandibular, palatine and vomerine bones ; in the Upeneus flavo-
Uneatus, the teeth are wanting on the palatines.