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| © Elonsy/Shutterstock |
By Kelly McLaughlin, INSIDER
- The remains of the sheepshead fish were found by a family on St. Simons Island off the coast of Georgia.
- The fish is known for its rows and rows of human-like teeth.
- The teeth are horrifying.
- But they're actually used to grind crustaceans, clams, and oysters.
The corpse of a fish with human-looking teeth was found off the coast of Georgia.
The
remains of the sheepshead fish - known for its several rows of teeth
used to crack and crush shellfish - were found by a family on St.
Simons Island.
Maleah Burrows snapped a photo of the fish while walking on the beach with her 3-year-old.
"I
originally just thought it was a plain old fish - nothing exciting,
but I still wanted to show my 3-year-old," the 31-year-old told Pen
News in an interview published by multiple outlets. "Then as we got closer I saw all the teeth and I was shocked because I'd never seen anything like it."
Mum finds fish with full set of 'human teeth' in beach walk https://t.co/0K2W1raSiH pic.twitter.com/2GhuGKTZbz— The Sun (@TheSun) May 17, 2019
The corpse of a fish with human-looking teeth was found off the coast of Georgia.
The
remains of the sheepshead fish - known for its several rows of teeth
used to crack and crush shellfish - were found by a family on St.
Simons Island.
Maleah Burrows snapped a photo of the fish while walking on the beach with her 3-year-old.
"I
originally just thought it was a plain old fish - nothing exciting,
but I still wanted to show my 3-year-old," the 31-year-old told Pen
News in an interview published by multiple outlets. "Then as we got closer I saw all the teeth and I was shocked because I'd never seen anything like it."
The average sheepshead fish weighs between 1 and 4 pounds, though they can weigh up to about 20 pounds, according to Florida Shore Fishing.
The
fish are common in the Gulf of Mexico and the southern North American
coast. Though they were once prevalent in the New England region, the
species has become rare in the area in recent years, according to Britannica.com.
Sheepsheads use their human-like teeth to grind crustaceans, clams, and oysters.
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| © Elonsy/Shutterstock |
"It had an entire mouthful of teeth - they weren't pointy but blunt
like an animals," Burrows said of the fish she found in Georgia.
"Behind its first row of teeth were buds that filled up its entire
mouth."
While the sight of the fish might be shocking for someone
not familiar with the sheepshead's appearance, it's not a rare fish.
The
fish is not listed as endangered or vulnerable with the World
Conservation Union, and is often caught by fishermen. While it's
difficult to clean due to its heavy scales, it is known for its white
meat and mild flavor, according to the Florida Museum.
