The tooth development of the Parrot Perch, oplegnathus fasciatus, (family oplegnathidae, teleostei).

Characteristics and implications of spongivory in the Knifejaw Oplegnathus woodwardi (Waite) in temperate mesophotic waters

“…Preliminary observations of the gut contents of O. woodwardi in south-western Australian waters showed that, like O. conwayi, this oplegnathid ingests large volumes of both sponges, which are by far the most abundant of the sessile invertebrate phyla in those waters (Fromont et al, 2012), and also teleosts. The teeth in the small terminal mouth of O. woodwardi are fused to form a powerful parrot-like beak (Kakizawa et al, 1980;Gomon et al, 2008), similar to those of the hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata and of teleosts such as parrotfishes, angelfishes and leatherjackets that likewise "bite off" and ingest large amounts of sponges and other hard-bodied invertebrates (Randall and Hartman, 1968;Meylan, 1988;Wulff, 1997;León and Bjorndal, 2002;Rodgers et al, 2013;Wood et al, 2017;Pawlik et al, 2018).…”

Genome-wide identification, characterization and expression analysis of the BMP family associated with beak-like teeth in Oplegnathus

“…They are carnivorous fishes with sharp teeth that allow them to bite through hard shells such as those of shellfish or sea urchins. Both O. fasciatus and O. punctatus have a distinctive parrot-like beak formed by the fusion of small teeth and tooth germs on the lower jaw ( Kakizawa et al, 1980 ). All species of the Oplegnathus family have these highly specialized beak-like teeth, which help them catch and chew hard-bodied prey, such as decapods, echinoderms, and molluscs.…”