pharyngeal jaws

English

Etymology

From pharyngeal +‎ jaw.

Noun

pharyngeal jaws pl (plural only)

  1. (zoology, anatomy) A secondary set of toothed bones or cartilage located deep within a fish's pharynx (or throat), behind the primary oral jaws; this second set of jaws are distinct from the main mouth jaws and are typically used to process food (like crushing, grinding, or tearing) and transport it to the esophagus, after the primary jaws have captured the prey.
    • 2016, Barry Berkovitz, Peter Shellis, chapter 4, in The Teeth of Non-Mammalian Vertebrates‎[1], page 49:
      In more advanced actinopterygians, the pharyngeal jaws take on the main role in processing food in addition to transport. Breaking down food ... is facilitated by a variety of changes that enable the pharyngeal jaws to engage more effectively. Teeth are concentrated on the tooth pads of the pharyngeal jaws.
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