達里安賽特菲爾德: 現實中的「外星」頜

現實中的「外星」頜

在海底跟蹤一隻烏賊一段時間後，海鰻終於準備好突襲。當海鰻用牠的長牙咬住這隻軟體動物時，烏賊掙扎著想要脫身。可是在牠能擺脫之前，第二組牙齒從海鰻的喉嚨裡往前攫住牠。這種構造稱為咽頜，是海裡魚類演化出的構造中最常見著。達里安賽特菲爾德用這支影片和大家分享這種不凡的骨骼機制有什麼作用。〔導演：札克威廉斯；旁白：艾迪森安德森；音樂：麥斯威爾索倫森〕

Millions of years ago, fish developed a second set of jaws, called pharyngeal jaws, which let them capture and process prey at once. This hidden adaptation allows a moray eel to grab a cuttlefish with its oral teeth, then trap it with a second set lunging from its throat. These specialized jaws, found in over 30,000 fish species, enable feats from crushing shells to grinding seaweed or even eating the guts of sea cucumbers. The remarkable diversity of fish jaws underpins their success in virtually every aquatic environment.