Histological characteristics of lower jaw bones and oral teeth of the short nose gar, Lepisosteus platostomus Rafinesque, 1820 (Lepisosteidae)

摘要

Lepisosteidae are ram feeding fishes with caniniform teeth on their upper and lower jaws. The teeth are constituted of a cone of dentine with an apical cap of acrodin, and are fixed to the jaw bones by bone of attachment. The external surface of the teeth is ridged from their base till the base of the apical cap. The wall of the pulp cavity, shows radially-oriented folds that are characteristic of plicidentine. The enamel layer takes part in this folding that characterizes the polyplocodonte type of plicidentine. The primary and secondary bone tissue that constitutes the tooth supporting bone are both cellular and they contain canaliculi of Williamson that are frequently branched.