A man has broken a state record in Maryland after catching a sheepshead, but the human-like teeth on the fish are what has caught a lot of people's attention. Brian Summerlin caught a 16.6-pound sheepshead in September, which also broke a state fishing record.
The previous record was 14.1 pounds, according to a news release from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Sheepshead fish are known for their teeth that look similar to a set of human teeth.
Sheepshead fish typically eat hard-shelled aquatic animals, which is why they have human-like teeth. "They’re amazing fish that have adapted to the food they eat. They have front teeth that can bite off barnacles from any underwater structure. They also have molar-like teeth on the top and bottom of their mouths to crush crustaceans," Brian said.
Though their teeth might look a bit alarming to humans, they're not particularly dangerous as long as humans don't bother them, according to snopes.com. “I would not hesitate to swim in waters inhabited by these fish. They pose no threat to humans unless harassed. 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,” said David Catania, California Academy of Science collections manager for ichthyology.
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For Brian's daughter, the fish's human teeth might be a positive characteristic rather than something to be disturbed by. "My daughter wants to keep the teeth to put under her pillow for the Tooth Fairy because they look just like human teeth," he said.
