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Related Experiment Video

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Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton

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Black Drum Fish Teeth: Built for Crushing Mollusk Shells.

Zhifei Deng¹, Hyun-Chae Loh², Zian Jia¹

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute of Technology and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA.

Acta Biomaterialia

|October 21, 2021

Summary

Black drum fish teeth possess remarkable strength and toughness due to unique microstructural adaptations. These features enable the fish to crush hard-shelled mollusks efficiently, showcasing advanced biomaterial design.

Keywords:

Black drum teeth Durophagous behavior Fracture resistance Microstructure

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Published on: July 10, 2014

Area of Science:

Biomineralization
Materials Science
Functional Morphology

Background:

Black drum fish (Pogonias cromis) consume hard-shelled mollusks, necessitating specialized dental structures.
Understanding the material basis of their bite force is crucial for biomimetic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To systematically analyze the microstructural, chemical, crystallographic, and mechanical properties of black drum teeth.
To elucidate the structural adaptations enabling molluscivory in Pogonias cromis.

Main Methods:

Microstructural analysis of tooth components.
Chemical and crystallographic characterization of apatite crystals.
Mechanical testing to determine modulus and fracture toughness.
Macroscale examination of tooth morphology and dentin-bone interface.

Main Results:

Outer enameloid exhibits high modulus (126.9 ± 16.3 GPa) and hardness (5.0 ± 1.4 GPa) due to Zn and F doping in apatite, with aligned crystallographic axes.
High fracture toughness (1.12 MPa·m^1/2) in outer enameloid allows for local yielding.
Molar-like teeth, dense dentin tubules, and enlarged pulp chambers enhance stress distribution and energy absorption.

Conclusions:

Multi-scale structural adaptations in black drum teeth are optimized for crushing hard-shelled prey.
Zn and F doping, crystallographic alignment, and layered material design contribute to exceptional tooth strength and toughness.
The black drum's dental morphology represents a highly effective evolutionary solution for molluscivory.