Found at the tip of Tyee Spit:
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| Jawbone, with intact teeth. 3 1/2 inches long. On a piece of driftwood bark for contrast. |
This looked, at first glance, like fish bones; flexible bones, very thin, porous. I took it home and Googled "Salmon jaw", and there it was; a long jaw with a line of small teeth behind and large, hooked ones in front. The arrangement varies with the species of salmon; I couldn't pin this one down.
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| Biting teeth from inside of jaw |
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| Same teeth, outside of jaw. The bone is very porous. |
Mature salmon eat smaller fish and invertebrates. The tooth arrangement seems to work for a quick capture and gulp style, with inward-turned hooks in front.
Great photos!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting find. Great photos!
ReplyDeleteI never realized salmon have such sharp teeth. Looks like they could give you a nasty bite!
ReplyDeleteWhen you see pictures of them heading upstream you see those big teeth. - Margy
ReplyDeletewow what a find! I assumed the bones were much more fragile than that. Some of the male Sockeye jaws I have seen are fierce and boy those teeth are sharp.
ReplyDelete