Black musselcrackers have powerful jaws with a set of impressive teeth – four cone-shaped teeth in the upper jaw and six in the lower jaw, as well as two rows of rounded molars in each jaw.

They use these teeth to crush starfish, sea urchins, crabs and chitons.

The Afrikaans name, “poenskop”, means “skinhead”.

(Photo: Geoff Spiby)

Species Facts

  • Has four cone-shaped teeth in the upper jaw and six in the lower jaw, as well as two rows of rounded molars in each jaw

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