Sheepshead Fish with HUMAN-looking teeth is caught of South Carolina

Wildlife experts with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources had a bit of fun on Facebook after they posted a photo of an unidentified fish to see if the public could identify it.

'You’ll need a saltwater fishing license to catch me! I like to hang out near rocks, jetties, reefs, and even bridges. I’m also known as the convict fish because of my black and white stripes,' biologists wrote in the caption on Wednesday.

And the riddle didn't stop there.

'The coolest thing about me? I have human-like incisors and molars to help crush my food. I like shrimp and oysters just like you do!' the post continued.

Several folks responded to the post with many of them guessing that the fish was a sheepshead fish, which is correct. This particular fish can grow to be as large as 35 inches (90cm) weigh as much as 21 pounds (9.5kg).



It has a hard mouth and stubby teeth that bear a striking resemblance to human teeth.


The sheepshead has limited commercial value, but it’s particularly well-known for possessing teeth that look incredibly similar to ours.

No one really knows where the fish got its name, but it’s been suggested that it’s because its teeth also resemble those of sheep.

The sheepshead fish is a deep-bodied flat fish that is commonly found in North and South America.


And Sheepshead Bay in New York City was even named after the creepy-looking fish, although the species is no longer found that far north.

Music: "Unwritten Return" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Source:  South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Daily Mail , Science ABC

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