What specialized dental structure located in the rear section of the wolf eel's mouth is used for crushing favored prey items?
Answer
Broad molars.
The adult wolf eel possesses a highly specialized dental architecture perfectly suited to its diet of hard-shelled invertebrates such as crabs, sea urchins, and snails. This dentition is divided functionally: the front teeth are sharp canines, optimized for grasping and seizing prey. In contrast, the rear section of the mouth is equipped with broad molars. These molars function specifically as crushing tools, allowing the fish to generate the necessary force to break open tough shells and extract the edible contents within, effectively making them biological nutcrackers.
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