Structure of comblike teeth of the ayu sweetfish, Plecoglossus altivelis (Teleostei: Isospondyli): I. Denticles and tooth attachment.

The structure and tooth attachment of the comblike teeth and denticles of the ayu sweetfish, Plecoglossus altivelis, were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. The denticle is composed of a spoonlike crown with a spine pointed anteriorly, a triangular plate in the cervical region, and a root that curves laterally and tapers off to a point. The root apex is fused with a long thin pedicle that turns abruptly anteriad toward the jaw bone. Planes of the spine, the spoonlike crown, the triangle plate and the root of the denticle are varied, and the denticle is twisted in the region of the triangle plane. The superficial layer of the dentine is homogeneously calcified and is considered to be enameloid, because some of the inner dentinal epithelial cells in the tooth germ are columnar and possess cellular processes at their apical ends. The dentine is fibrous and fine dentinal tubules are visible in dentine treated with sodium hydroxide and observed by scanning electron microscopy. The upper half of the root is surrounded by a dense layer of collagen fibers running parallel to the tooth axis, and the lower half is encompassed by interlaced collagen fibers. The lower part of the root is open on its lingual side. The pedicle is a long rod which is homogeneously calcified and enmeshed by interlaced collagen fibers, and it curves mediad as it nears the jaw bone. The pedicles are interposed between a layer of gelatinous connective tissue and the jaw bone and terminate on the periosteum. Comparative aspects of ayu tooth morphology are discussed. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.