Three-toothed Puffers

  Family Triodontidae
Genus Triodon (Cuvier, 1829)
Triodon antiquus (Leriche, 1905)

Age - Eocene - Occurrence - ?

Triodon antiquus is commonly known as the three-toothed puffer, unlike most puffer fish which have four teeth T. antiquus has three. Pufferfish have teeth fused together into a beak-like structure worked by powerful jaw muscles that are strong enough to crush shells and crabs. The only example of T. antiquus I’ve found is the single tooth of the lower jaw.

Triodon macropterus is the only living species in the genus Triodon.

Photo by Jean-Lou Justine

 

Triodon antiquus lower tooth plate.
The lower tooth plate has a triangular shape with a single beak. 

Monmouth Country, NJ.

The beak is composed of overlapping dentine bands.
Like a rodent these teeth are constantly growing.


 

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Triodon antiquus has three teeth, two on the top and a single tooth on the bottom.

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