This fish has human-like teeth. I mean, look at this thing! It needs a dental plan!! But, as fake as it looks, this is not Photoshop or AI. This is a 100% real fish, and it’s known as the sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus).

Despite their absurd appearance, sheepshead fish are not rare or elusive. They are native to the western Atlantic, ranging from Nova Scotia to Brazil, and are quite plentiful in the southeast United States. There’s even an area in Brooklyn named Sheepshead Bay because sheepshead were once abundant there.

But why do the they have these bizarre bucktoothed grins? To eat shellfish, of course! They use their special teeth to break open clams, oysters, barnacles, shrimp, and crabs. They’re basically living versions of those crab leg crackers you get when you eat crab legs.

Speaking of eating, sheepshead are prized by fisherman for their unique flavor, which tastes like the shellfish they dine upon. The current all-tackle world record winning sheepshead weighed 21 pounds and 4 ounces. That’s about 9.6 kilograms. So these fish get pretty big!!

In my own experience, I’ve seen these fish hanging around wrecks off North Carolina. I even have some footage here of a sheepshead munching on some barnacles. You can watch it in my YouTube video on this same subject.

Oddly enough, sheepshead are not the only fish with teeth like a human! Pacu fish, which are basically vegetarian piranhas, also have some crazy chompers! They are freshwater fish native to South America, but due to the aquarium trade, they have been turning up in North American lakes and rivers, where they are definitely NOT supposed to be!

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