Teething Problem

沒齒難忘

As Unforgettable As Losing One's Tooth

~ A Chinese Idiom

Most Goldfish hobbyists who do not use sand or gravel in their aquariums would have come across those mysterious white chips lying on the base of their Goldfish tanks. They are irregularly shaped hard, white and sharp pieces ranging from 1mm to 3mm. Hobbyists who use coral chips to buffer their water would usually attribute these as the small crumbs of coral chips from the filter bed but for those who don't, they continue to be baffled by the presence of these stuff.

I was also puzzled for years until I saw the carcass of a Ranchu. The row of sharp "chips" of various sizes lining along the throat/jaw bone of the Ranchu instantly solved the mystery. Apparently, the Goldfish would shed its teeth and grow new ones to replace the old ones over time.

Apologies for the gross image of the Ranchu skeleton but it is quite amazing how the teeth of the Goldfish resembles that of a carnivore.

Pictures:

1) White "chips" on the base of Goldfish tanks.

2) A Ranchu skeleton.

3) Close up of the throat bone with teeth.