Heterodont - More than one type of teeth are present
Not all fishes bear teeth. The teeth are present in some species; while in some they are completely disappeared.
Teeth are borne on several of the head and face bones. Those in the upper jaw include the premaxillary and maxillary in most of the soft rayed fishes, but the maxillary does not bear teeth in most of the higher teleosts. Additional teeth are vomer, palatine, pterygoid and parasphenoid. In the lower jaw, the dentaries are usually the main toothed bones, but teeth may be present on the tongue (Glossohyal) and the basibranchials.
Many large mouthed fishes have small teeth or none at all (Eg. Largemouth bass)
Wolf eel that feed on shelled invertebrates have strong canine teeth in front of the jaws grasping their prey and have blunt molars for crushing the shells.
Parrot fish bites off coral with a beak-like structure formed by the fusion of the front teeth.
In some fishes (Notopterus notopterus), the tongue has teeth on it (Glossohyal).
In the carps (Cyprinidae) and suckers (Castomidae), the only teeth are pharyngeal teeth.
Kinds of teeth: (based on the form)
Cardiforms: Numerous, short, fine and pointed (catfish, perches and seabass)
Villiform: Elongated cardiform ones (needle fishes and lion fishes)
Cannine teeth: Dog tooth-like, elongated and subconical, straight or curved; adapted for piercing and holding (moray eel)
Incisor: Sharply edged cutting teeth (sea breams and parrot fishes)
Molariform: Flattened teeth: for crushing and grinding (character of bottom-dwelling skates, chimaeras and drums)
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