Do some discus have teeth? & some don't???

[tpastrana]

I think this might be a silly question, but I am going to throw it out there anyway. I usually hand feed all my discus at least once a day. The reason I ask this question is because when I do hand feed these guy's. Sometimes they miss and nip me. Now this might seem weird but all my discus except my Stendkers seem to gum me when the bite me. When the stendkers miss and bite me they hurt!!!! They actually feel like they have little needle teeth. I have to practically put the food in front of them so I dont get bit. My big 7" BT who is the biggest in the tank right now is the most gentle of all. He is so gentle when he comes to eat I can hardly feel anything when he nips me. I put my finger in the tank and he goes to nip at it and it feels like he pretty much just bounces off my finger or it feels like I am being gummed to death:p So my question is, do some types of discus have teeth and some don't? Why do just my Stendkers hurt me when they feed?

Teresa

[ShinShin]

I don't know why just your Stendkr's hurt you, but all discus have teeth. The genus name - Symphysodon - means "having teeth in the middle of the jaw".

Mat

[CARY_GLdiscus]

YOU GO! MAT! I mean Marie : )

[ShinShin]

How ya doin', Cary?

Mat

[Kindredspirit]

YOU GO! MAT! I mean Marie : )


:confused:

[ShinShin]

Marie,

Some years back, I was banned on several forums, many times simultaniously, and somehow or other, I was able to sneak back onto several of them under the Alias - Marie Cruz, a sultry Latina vixen married to a drug importer from Panama named Hector, quite older than her, who purchased her from her parents in the Dominican Republic at the age of 15. She and Cary carried out a torrid cyberspace romance in front of the whole world. It went on for some time, unknown by most exept me, Cary, and Joe of Enchanted Discus who Marie Cruz really was. Finally, someway, somehow I was discovered and banned yet again.

Mat

[Polar_Bear]

Well... actually Symphysodon means Sym=together Phys = fused, odon= teeth
So... teeth fused together

[Graham]

I'll stand to be corrected here............ but I believe discus, like oscars etc, don't have teeth as we think of them...like us, or a dog, cow or a cat...what I they have, the same as a what a koi has, are pharyngeal teeth.

These are outgrowths of bone that resemble human molars located right at the very back of the throat...from the outside right around the back of the gills. Food is taken back into this area and ground and spit out and taken in and ground again...with some passing out through the gills, due to location



Teresa this 'lips'' can have a real snap hence the feeling of being bit

Africans have teeth for scraping algae

[tpastrana]

I'll stand to be corrected here............ but I believe discus, like oscars etc, don't have teeth as we think of them...like us, or a dog, cow or a cat...what I they have, the same as a what a koi has, are pharyngeal teeth.

These are outgrowths of bone that resemble human molars located right at the very back of the throat...from the outside right around the back of the gills. Food is taken back into this area and ground and spit out and taken in and ground again...with some passing out through the gills, due to location



Teresa this 'lips'' can have a real snap hence the feeling of being bit

Africans have teeth for scraping algae

Hi,
You know that makes sense, the Stendker's actually do have a real hard snap
when they come for the food. They actually try and rip it out of my fingers.
As with the other's they come to get the food more gently, not as aggressive.
Thanks for the response.

[tpastrana]

Well... actually Symphysodon means Sym=together Phys = fused, odon= teeth
So... teeth fused together

Hey Larry!!!

Thanks for the explanation, that was interesting to know;) I appreciate it.

Teresa

[Kindredspirit]

Marie,

Some years back, I was banned on several forums, many times simultaniously, and somehow or other, I was able to sneak back onto several of them under the Alias - Marie Cruz, a sultry Latina vixen married to a drug importer from Panama named Hector, quite older than her, who purchased her from her parents in the Dominican Republic at the age of 15. She and Cary carried out a torrid cyberspace romance in front of the whole world. It went on for some time, unknown by most exept me, Cary, and Joe of Enchanted Discus who Marie Cruz really was. Finally, someway, somehow I was discovered and banned yet again.

Mat


That is a great story Mat! Thanks for sharing that ~ thought I had done something....

Now ~ who would ban YOU? I think you are very sweet and extremely wise and helpful ~ wait...wait...IMO...I should say:)

Well babe.. makes two of us that are banned from somewhere:D

Sorry Teresa...did not mean to hi-jack your topic here:p


Marie~ http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/29/29_5_2.gif

[tpastrana]

Marie,

Some years back, I was banned on several forums, many times simultaniously, and somehow or other, I was able to sneak back onto several of them under the Alias - Marie Cruz, a sultry Latina vixen married to a drug importer from Panama named Hector, quite older than her, who purchased her from her parents in the Dominican Republic at the age of 15. She and Cary carried out a torrid cyberspace romance in front of the whole world. It went on for some time, unknown by most exept me, Cary, and Joe of Enchanted Discus who Marie Cruz really was. Finally, someway, somehow I was discovered and banned yet again.

Mat

Hey Mat, Are you kidding??? That is too funny!!!:D :D

[tpastrana]

That is a great story Mat! Thanks for sharing that ~ thought I had done something....

Now ~ who would ban YOU? I think you are very sweet and extremely wise and helpful ~ wait...wait...IMO...I should say:)

Well babe.. makes two of us that are banned from somewhere:D

Sorry Teresa...did not mean to hi-jack your topic here:p


Marie~ http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/29/29_5_2.gif

That's Ok Marie, I was as confused as you. Too funny;)

[ShinShin]

Marie - Who would ban me? lol Well, Al did once, maybe twice. Ryan did once. Bufo on the old DBWS forum, Jedd on Aquaforum, and some clown on a lesser forum that got about 5-6 posts a week. ;). That's not counting all the written warnings I have received over the years. I wasn't always this soft and fluffy. ;)

My Latin isn't very good. I guess I am guilty of taking Tony Silva's definition from his book as being correct all these years.
(ref. "DISCUS" pg. 8, by Silva/Kotlar)

Mat

[Kindredspirit]

I wasn't always this soft and fluffy. ;) Mat


Well You are to me:D


M ~