Whose teeth are these?

[alcina]

One of my instructor's found these in the sand the other day. We have lots of guesses, but don't know what they are for sure. Any insight appreciated!

 

[drbill]

I haven't lost any of mine... they're still in my mouth. However they do look a bit like my incisors.

Doc

 

[alcina]

LOL...so far we believe that they are from a tuskfish, part of the wrasse family. No further ID at this stage...

Big 'un whatever he was!

 

[Scuba_John]

Interesting thing about the teeth are they have curves that work against each other.
The cone shape should also give some direction

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

These teeth look a bit like they came from a Hogfish or Hogsnapper. It is actually a wrasse found in the southeastern waters of the US and Caribbean. Hogfish teeth don't have the bands or rings like those in the photo. Male Hogfish have larger teeth than the female and they protrude at an extreme angle. Alcina also seems to think the teeth in the photo are from a wrasse.

The photo specimin appears to be from the same jaw on opposite sides of the head. I would venture to guess the maxillary jaw. The photo creates the illusion that these were opposing teeth on opposing jaws. I think that Scuba_John may have thought that these were upper an lower teeth of the same side.

It is even possible that two different fish from the same species are displayed. The two jaws do not appear to be the same size...even though the teeth seem to be the same size.

Larry Stein

 

[Mako Mark]

I was going to guess at a Wrasse, I know I have seen them and the Hogfish seems to be pretty close. Pretty hard to tell without a scale bar. Do they have hogfish in WA?

 

[Scuba_John]

That is what I was thinking but your thoughs have changed my mind I think that you have a better idea on what they appear to be, and in looking at the picture they do appear to be of different sizes.
John

 

[DiverColt]

how big are they? Could you compare them to an object in size such as a penny?