Swordtailfish are vibrant in color and easy to keep and even breed. That’s why they are also called beginner’s fish. When you observe a swordtail fish, you will first notice the long elongated sword-like tail. They have fins, scales, gills like other common fish. Have you ever wondered if swordtail fish have teeth?
There is much debate over whether Swordtails have teeth or not. So let me, once and for all, clear your confusion, and tell you that Yes, swordtail fish do have teeth. Swordtail fish belong to Live-bearing Toothcarp family-Poeciliidae family that have teeth in both their upper and lower jaw.
This blog post will explore this question and provide you with answers to some other related questions, such as What Are Live-Bearing Toothcarps? Do Swordtails Have A Tongue? What Is The Use Of Swordtail Teeth? Do Swordtails Chew Food? And many more!
What Are Live-Bearing Toothcarps?
Livebearer fish have their origins in Central America, Mexico, and Honduras. There are primarily four families of live-bearing fish.
The most familiar aquarium fish species like guppy, molly, platy, and swordtail are the largest group, the Live-bearing Toothcarps (Poeciliidae).
This family is called live-bearing toothcarps, as they have teeth in both their upper and lower jaw.
This is the largest family of livebearers. They are found in tropical areas and are under the list of most popular ornamental aquarium fish species.
Do Swordtail Fish Have Teeth?
Since swordtail fish belong to the same family, they do have teeth. In fact, in both upper and lower jaws.
Swordtail fish have a specialized jaw known as a terminal mouth. The jaws of these fish are not fused to form one solid structure like in most other fishes; instead, there is an opening between the two jaws.
This opening is usually covered with a movable skin flap, but when feeding or defending territory, it opens to reveal rows of teeth on both sides of the lower jaw and one row of teeth on each side that line up with the upper jaw.
This type of mouth has earned these fish its nickname as live-bearing tooth carps.
Hence, yes, swordtail fish have teeth.
What Is The Use Of Swordtail Teeth?
The terminal mouth is most likely an adaptation to help these fish eat hard-shelled prey and defend themselves against predators.
The teeth in the jaws of these fish are used for crushing shells and holding on to prey, as well as feeding and defense.
With rows of teeth on the lower jaw, live-bearing tooth carps can crush shells that other fishes with fused jaws cannot.
They can also use their upper set of teeth for biting or grasping prey.
What Type Of Teeth Do Swordtails Have?
The first pair comprises incisor lateral line scales, which scrape food off the tongue as it approaches the pharynx.
The second pair is found in the jaw and is used for crushing food that has been brought towards them by swimming with their mouths open or during feeding time.
The teeth of a swordtail fish are described as being “elaborate,” which means they have many tiny, long projections called cusps.
Do Swordtails Chew Food?
Since swordtail fish have teeth in both their upper and lower jaw, they do chew food.
The problem with these fish is that the opening of the mouth does not close tight, so it leaks a little water.
So if you want to feed your swordtail live foods like worms or shrimp, make sure that you use a thin piece of plastic wrap to keep the food in and not let any water get out.
Do Swordtail Fish Have A Tongue?
Swordtails are bony-tongued fishes with choanae on the roof of their mouth and two pairs of teeth located near this region.
The tongue, however, does not resemble the muscular tongues of humans. Instead, the tongue of swordtail fish is formed from a fold in the floor in the mouth.
FAQs
Some frequently asked questions:
Are Swordtail Fish Aggressive?
Swordtail fish are not aggressive; they only become so when guarding their space and food.
These freshwater aquarium fish come from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean area.
They can grow up to six inches in length or a little longer for females of some species.
What Do Swordtails Eat?
They will accept flake foods, frozen foods such as bloodworms and brine shrimp, or prepared sinking pellets.
We can keep swordtail fish with other small-sized community fish in a tank of at least 20 gallons.
Just make sure the water temperature is in their 68° to 80° range.
Conclusion
For many years people were unsure whether or not these animals had teeth in their mouths because they don’t have any visible gum lines to view tooth placement.
However, research has now revealed that swordtail fish do, in fact, have teeth.
They would qualify for Jaws or anything, but these tooth carps do have teeth!