Smalltooth sawfish develop their signature, long, tooth-lined snout while still in the womb. The needle-sharp teeth are encased in a specialized sheath that prevents the rays from cutting up their mother and siblings during gestation and birth. Now, scientists have gotten their first close-up look at this built-in pocket protector.
“It’s a cool thing Mother Nature figured out to protect mom from those calcified teeth and protect siblings from sword fighting in the uterus,” says fish biologist Gregg Poulakis of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in Charlotte Harbor.
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