| Koi continually replace their teeth, which are located in the throat (not the mouth). I'm sure you've heard how sharks have a perpetual supply of teeth. Koi are somewhat similar. When the old teeth fall out, they go through the digestive tract and are expelled. Generally the teeth are flushed away in the settlement debris. You've probably seen some whitish bits in the settlement glarf, or what looked like grit on the pond bottom, and not thought a thing about it.
The photos are as close-up as I could get. I should have put a coin next to them to show the size better. The largest tooth is about 0.5cm... less than one-fourth of an inch.
My koi range from tosai to 12 years old...mostly 3-6 years old. I believe tooth loss is related to growth, so there can be a seasonal aspect to finding them. The younger fish are the ones most needing to replace little teeth with bigger ones to match their growth. | 
04-10-2006
Quote: 
Linear Mode
Similar Threads 
