Sheepshead Fish (Archosargus probatocephalus) is a species of marine fish with ray fins, primarily found along the eastern coasts of North and South America. They are known for their teeth that resemble human teeth.
Sheepshead fish have dark vertical stripes running along their light gray bodies. They also possess sharp spines along their backs. Most sheepshead fish range from 43 to 45 cm in length, although some individuals can grow up to 91 cm, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Sheepshead fish have teeth resembling human teeth.
Sheepshead fish develop human-like teeth as they mature to help them consume prey with hard shells. When young, they feed on any mollusks they can find and various small shelled animals, including crustaceans just a few millimeters long. According to the IUCN, once sheepshead fish exceed about 5 cm in length, they begin to eat hard-shelled animals such as mollusks and spiny fish.
According to the IUCN, sheepshead fish inhabit marine and estuarine environments in the western Atlantic, from Nova Scotia in eastern Canada, down the eastern United States and the Central American coastline, and as far south as southern Brazil.
While sheepshead fish typically live in saltwater and brackish environments, they are sometimes found in freshwater habitats during the winter when they seek warmer waters where streams and rivers flow into the ocean. At the end of winter and the beginning of spring, sheepshead fish migrate offshore to spawn. They swim from the surface down to depths of 15 meters.
For reproduction, females release their eggs, which are then fertilized by males. Scientists do not know much about the reproductive behavior of sheepshead fish, but females can produce between 1,100 to 250,000 eggs. After fertilization, the eggs hatch in just 28 hours. Sheepshead fish typically reach maturity at 2 years of age and can live for at least 20 years.
Are Sheepshead Fish Dangerous to Humans?
According to the IUCN, sheepshead fish are safe for humans and are caught for commercial and recreational purposes. Even though sheepshead fish possess a full set of teeth like rodents, they generally do not pose a threat to humans but can cause fear.
They do not pose any threat to humans unless provoked. However, due to their sharp dorsal fins, care should be taken when handling them after capture, as one can easily get pricked by their sharp dorsal spines.
