Surface morphology of the oral cavity of redbelly tilapia, Coptodon zillii (Gervais, 1848)

There is a scarcity of morphological data on the oral cavity of Tilapia zillii, so the current investigation aimed to reveal these morphological characteristics, focusing on the teeth of the upper and lower jaws, oral valves, palate, and tongue through both gross anatomical and scanning electron microscopic examinations. The premaxillary and dentary teeth were arranged in rostral and caudal groups with different lengths decreased towards the mouth corners. The rostral group was longer with two processes, while the caudal group had three processes. The rostral group of the premaxillary and dentary teeth was present in one row. While the caudal group of these teeth was present in several rows. At the upper jaw corner, the caudal group was in two rows, while it was in one row at the lower jaw corner. The different lengths in the premaxillary and dentary teeth in conjunction with the presence of processes on the tips of the teeth help shred the eaten particles. The oral cavity structures related to feeding habits in Tilapia zillii reflect its herbivorous behaviour. The knowledge of the nature of its oral cavity will help in identifying better methods for feeding in aquaculture.