Age‐related ultrastructural characterizations of the teeth of the white grouper (Epinephelus aeneus) in the different three age‐stages

Abstract

This study represents the first attempt to describe ultrastructural features of teeth in different three ages of white grouper (Epinephelus aeneus) grossly and by the aid of the electron microscope. The current study depends on 18 oropharyngeal cavity of E. aeneus from each age‐stages. There are common and special characterization between each age. Five teeth bands in the roof (incisive, canine, upper molar, palatine, and vomer), while two bands in the floor (incisive, molar). The apical teeth part resembles the arrowhead that bordered by groove distally. In 5 cm age, small upper incisive teeth had two appearance (straight and curved), and vomer teeth arranged in triangular in only one row (while, in 12\u2009cm fish arranged in two rows and in 15\u2009cm fish arranged in more than two rows), the palatine teeth began rostrally as one row then two rows and terminated by one row, while in other two ages began by two, then three and ended by two rows. There is no canine teeth in lower jaw in all age. In 12\u2009cm fish, the rostral row of lower incisive teeth usually contain small straight teeth, while the posterior row mainly contain large with some medium upper incisive teeth. In 18\u2009cm fish, upper incisive teeth located within two incisive fossa that separated from each other by longitudinal part of T‐shaped upper incisive ridge and small incisive teeth had two appearance (straight and curved), and each canined teeth group contain four teeth (while in other two ages each group contain only two canine teeth).