Meeting Abstract
The goals of this study are to 1) establish a model of functional tooth replacement in a terrestrial blenniid, Alticus arnoldorum, exhibiting extreme tooth detachment from the jaws; 2) demonstrate that classical descriptions of tooth attachment in combtooth blennies are inadequate to describe tooth function. The process of tooth replacement across most osteichthyan fishes has been well-described. Tooth replacement in osteichthyans occurs either in sockets within the bone of attachment (intraosseous) or within the soft tissue that surrounds the bone of attachment (extraosseous). In nearly all fishes, replacement teeth form into functional teeth that become anchored to the bone of attachment. Multiple lineages within the combtooth blennies (Blenniidae: Teleostei) serve as exceptions to these observations, as they exhibit functional teeth loosely attached to the bones of the jaw, or weakly attached via loose connective tissue and extending beyond the margins of the jaw bones. Combtooth blennies also occupy a wide range of habitats that span subtidal to supralittoral zones. Although several studies on habitat, diet and feeding behavior across Blenniidae have been conducted, descriptions of tooth development and tooth function in these fishes are limited to classical external observations. We describe tooth replacement using techniques that include staining and clearing, histology, and micro-CT scanning. The results of our study will expand upon current knowledge of the modes in which teeth are developed and replaced in osteichthyan fishes. In addition, our study will provide insight into how A. arnoldorum uses its oral teeth to feed in a novel terrestrial habitat.
