Fish with human like teeth

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2021-08-08 15:50:45

Credit: Jennette's Pier, facebook

Credit: Jennette's Pier, facebook

Anglers at Jennette's Pier in North Carolina pulled up something unexpected — and uncanny — from the Atlantic: a fish with human teeth.

Yes, this fish — and its teeth — are real. But fortunately, there's nothing human about it.

It's called a sheepshead fish (Archosargus probatocephalus) — also known as a convict fish for the dark stripes running down its gray body, reminiscent of a stereotypical prison jumpsuit, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The fish is commonly found swimming along the Atlantic coast, from New York to Brazil, and gave Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, its name. They can grow up to 3 feet (91 centimeters) long and dine on a variety of oysters, clams, crustaceans and the odd bit of plant matter.

Key Facts  about Archosargus probatocephalus

  • They have a deep and compressed in body shape, with five or six dark bars on the side of the body over a gray background. 
  • They have sharp dorsal spines.?
  • They have a hard mouth, with several rows of stubby teeth – the frontal ones closely resembling human teeth – which help crush the shells of prey

Size:

•    Can grow to 76 cm (30 in), but commonly reaches 30 to 50 cm (10 to 20 in).

•    The average weight of a sheepshead is 1.4 to 1.8 kg (3 to 4 lb), but some individuals reach the range of 4.5 to 6.8 kg (10 to 15 lb).

Habitat:

    • These fish prefer inshore around rock pilings, jetties, mangrove roots, and piers as well as in tidal creeks, the euryhaline sheepshead prefers brackish waters. 
    • They also seek out warmer spots near spring outlets and river discharges and sometimes enter freshwater during the winter months. 
    • These fish move to offshore areas in later winter and early spring for spawning.