The Bone Fish
  Paralbula casei (Estes)
Occurrence - Common

Paralbula casei is known almost solely from uncommon basibranchial and parasphenoid tooth plates and common isolated teeth. The bonefish uses these modified teeth to grind it's hard shelled prey such as mollusk and crustaceans. The isolated teeth of Paralbula casei are small, averaging only a few millimeters in diameter and requires the use of a fine  mesh screen while collecting. The teeth are dome like, with an enamel surface that shows faint radiating lines or wrinkles emanating from the center. Typical of this genus is the alternating pattern of the replacement teeth.

The dome like teeth of Paralbula casei average
only a couple of mm in diameter.
Monmouth County, NJ
 

  The distinctive lines or wrinkles that emanate from the center of the
enamel surface show up well on this unworn example.
Scale in mm.

The underside of the  teeth are normally hollow, but
remnants of the root structure may be present. Teeth with complete
roots (Fig A) are uncommon.
Monmouth Country, NJ.
 

P. casei tooth plate fragment.
Views: Top row – profile views
 bottom row left - occlusal, right - basal.
Monmouth County, NJ

Close up of same tooth plate as above.
B, D are replacement teeth, in P. casei the replacement teeth are in
an alternating pattern rather than being directly under a mature tooth.
A and C are mature teeth with some wear showing on tooth A.
 

A relatively complete plate.
Monmouth County, NJ

Specimen and photo courtesy of Luke Oman

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