This fish isn't rare but it's scary looking! Are those human teeth?
Sheepshead fish are a common marine species in North America from Cape Cod and Massachusetts to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to Brazil.
How much does the average sheepshead fish weigh?
Florida Shore Fishing details that the average sheepshead range between 1 and 4 pounds. However, it's fairly common to see them coming in at around 7 pounds and even maxing out around 20 pounds.
Does the sheepshead fish have human-like teeth?
Mum finds fish with full set of 'human teeth' in beach walk https://t.co/0K2W1raSiH pic.twitter.com/2GhuGKTZbz
— The Sun (@TheSun) May 17, 2019
This is a very strong fish with "a very soft bite," and the Sheepshead use their flat-shaped teeth to pull quite hard!
What do they use their human-like teeth to do?
According to Scientific American, these teeth are for crushing:
"A fully-grown adult sheepshead will have well-defined incisors sitting at the front of the jaw, and molars set in three rows in the upper jaw and two rows in the lower jaw. It has strong, heavy grinders set in the rear of the jaw too, which are particularly important for crushing the shells of its prey."
Is this a rare fish?
Nope!
This fish with human teeth isn't rare at all, though those pearly whites are pretty intimidating. They almost resemble piranha. When this fish was found in Georgia, it was trending and went viral on social media for weeks. Anglers have a strategy for how to catch this freshwater fish. The chompers are horrifying though.
And it's delicious! The Sheepshead diet of shellfish (clams, crustaceans, barnacles) gives the meat a similar flavor.
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