Odontode
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Odontodes, or dermal teeth, are hard structures found on the external surfaces of animals or near internal openings. They are comprised of a soft pulp surrounded by dentine and covered by a mineralized substance such as enamel, a structure similar to that of teeth.¹ They generally do not have the same function as teeth, and are not replaced the same way teeth are in most fish.² In some animals (notably catfish) the presence or size of odontodes can be used in determining the sex.³

See also Dermal denticle

Images

A New Species of Hisonotus (Siluriformes,Loricariidae) of the Upper Rı´o Uruguay Basin (see page 7) An article showing scanning electron microscope images of odontodes on a catfish. Author:Adriana E. Aquino, Scott A. Schaefer, Amalia M. Miquelarena. Publisher: The American Museum of Natural History.

References

1. ^ "Paleos Vertebrates: Glossary".
2. ^ "Evolution of development of the vertebrate dermal and oral skeletons: Unraveling concepts, regulatory theories, and homologies".
3. ^ "Sexual Dimorphism of the “Zebra Pleco” Hypancistrus zebra".

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