Like most fish, The species of bass has teeth. These teeth are not the traditional style teeth that some fish like pike, barracudas, or other toothy fish may have. Because it is not always easy to notice without really looking into a bass mouth they indeed do have small grit-style teeth that help the fish eat and continue to grow. When the question gets asked does bass have teeth? Yes, they do and it helps them to grab and secure many types of prey.
There are a few main species of bass that we will explore in this guide and if they have teeth and what the purposes are of teeth for a bass. The most popular species of bass is undoubtedly the Largemouth bass but we will also explore smallmouth bass, stripper bass, and peacock bass and the benefit and use of teeth.
Does largemouth bass have teeth?
Yes. Largemouth bass has small sandpaper grit-like teeth on both the top and bottom jaw. The larger the bass gets the deeper and pronounced the grit style teeth get. you can feel these teeth by gently rubbing your thumb against the inner lips of the fish.
Does smallmouth bass have teeth?
Yes. Smallmouth bass also has the same style of grit-like teeth that are used to hold on to and secure prey like crayfish and smaller fish. Unlike a Largemouth bass, the smallmouth bass has a smaller mouth but still has the same style of teeth.
Does striped bass have teeth?
Striped bass can grow much larger than Largemouth Bass or Smallmouth Bass but still possess the same style of small teeth that are used in the same manner as other species of bass. They grab and hold small fish and other prey in order to eat a meal. These teeth are not for tearing prey but to hold onto in order to eat.
Does peacock bass have teeth?
Yes, Peacock bass is native to Florida within the United States because they can not tolerate cold temperatures like other bass species. These fish are not native to the United States and were transferred to Florida in the early ’80s from tropical South America. These fish are highly aggressive and eat a wide range of food sources. Their teeth are a little more pronounced and are angled slightly toward the throat.
What is the most common prey for bass with the type of teeth?
Bass are aggressive feeders because of the size of the mouth and the ability to hold onto different types of prey with the types of teeth they possess. Bass love to eat other smaller fish and will eat their own if they can fit them into their mouth.
Largemouth and smallmouth bass will also eat crayfish, freshwater shrimp, frogs, small ducks, and other types of food that they can get a hold of. Smallmouth bass will even eat smaller perch and other sunfish.
Will holding a bass by the mouth hurt your hands?
No. Holding a largemouth bass by the mouth will not hurt your hand. It is important to note that a larger bass when they thrash around can scrap up your thumb or hand if the small grit-like teeth make contact with your skin.
It is not uncommon for someone who catches a lot of fish to have their thumb scuffed up because of the grit-like sandpaper mouth.
Like we pointed out in many of our guides regardless of the size of fish when you hold that fish by the lower jaw you need to support the belly weight on the other hand if you bring the fish up from anything other than a vertical position.
This can damage the jaw and result in the fish not being able to catch prey and ultimately cause a slow death.
Related questions
Does bass bite? No. Bass do not bite. however, some anglers can mistake this when releasing a bass by the mouth as they will sometimes clamp down when you rest them in the water. This is not a true bite.
Can bass hurt you? Not in the sense of bitting but anglers can get a nasty spike from the dorsal fins of bass or most types of fish.
Final thoughts
Does bass have teeth? Yes, just like almost every other type of fish they have small sandpaper-like teeth that are used to help secure food for continued growth.
Remember, these teeth are not used for ripping like other teeth that some fish have but are used to grip so prey does not escape. This helps all species of bass catch and eat food.
It is also important to understand that you can grip a bass by its mouth without having to worry about damage other than some small scrapes if you catch a lot of fish that day.
