8/6/2021- 12:48 p.m.
North Carolina – 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.
Yes, this fish — and its teeth — are real. But fortunately, there’s nothing human about it.
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.
Like humans, the sheepshead fish has a diverse, omnivorous diet — and, like humans, it has a set of dull, stubby chompers to get through meals.
A fully-grown sheepshead fish will typically sport three rows of molars in its upper jaw and two rows in its lower jaw, all the better to crunch through the shells of its prey, according to Scientific American.
With a set of chompers like that, does a sheepshead fish pose any threat to humans?
According to David Catania, the collections manager for ichthyology at the California Academy of Sciences, the answer is probably not.
Since they are good to eat, sheepshead are targeted by anglers, so the handling of one after capture creates the possibility of being bitten or poked by their sharp dorsal fin spines.”
