do fish have tongues?

[Dylan]

do they? ive always wondered because i know that theyll try anything, but spit out waste

 

[rhoymand]

im pretty sure they do. its hard to see in little fish but go to the market and look at some of the bigger fish.

 

[Shaunna]

Yes, fish do have tongues. Had you asked this question last week I would have wondered as well. However, I was recently looking at an article on an online fish magazine, can't remember which one, look on the Name that fish link. Anyway, the "front page" of the website that day was about a surprise that a diner found well preparing a fish to cook. There is apparently a parasite named the tongue louse, I believe, that swims in through a fish's gills and attaches theirselves to a fish's tongue and feeds off of an artery. The tongue eventually diminishes to practically nothing while the louse has grown to be quite large. The parasite then replaces the tongue therefore still continuing to feed through filtration when the fish is trying to eat. Quite disgusting, but does let us know that fish do in fact have tongues!!!!

 

[adagiolove05]

Gross, but very interesting. Learning's fun.

 

[fairychic]

Wow I never would of thought they had one. Neat.