On Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021, Jennette’s Pier of North Carolina posted photos of a fish with human-looking teeth. The Facebook post lead to a barrage of mixed comments from a variety of the platform’s users.

FISHING FOR SHEEPSHEAD

Nathan Martin reeled in the 9-pound fish that almost appears to be wearing dentures. He said that he was out fishing with his twin brother on Monday when he pulled up a “mouth full of teeth.” Martin is a regular at the pier and went out that day in hopes of bagging one. “It’s a very good fight when you’re fighting on the line. it’s a really good catch, and it tastes very good,” he told McClatchy News in a phone interview.

The Sheepshead gets its name from its mouth full of teeth that resemble those of Sheep. This omnivorous species use their unique incisors and molars to crush and eat shellfish. And, believe it or not, these fish aren’t rare. They occur in abundance along the Atlantic coasts of the United States and are one of the most valued food-fishes of North America.

The 9-pounder that Martin reeled in is a good size Sheepshead, although they are know to grow up to 15 or 20 pounds. One reason you may not see a whole lot of people catching these is because of their notorious ability to steal bait off of a hook. That, combined with their black and white stripes, have earned Sheepshead the nickname “Convict Fish.”

MIXED REACTIONS

Some commenters confirmed that the fish is, in fact, very tasty, with one person writing: “Yum! Best tasting fish in the sea! Craving some fish tacos now!!”

Other users chimed in with comments like: “Good eating” and “delish!”

There were some who didn’t find the meal to be too appetizing, saying, “Nah, I’m not that hungry, thanks.”

DENTAL JOKES

As you can imagine, there were no shortage of dental jokes mixed in there. Here is just a sampling of some of the best (or worst) takes regarding the animal’s chompers:

“Is this where dentures come from?”

“That fish has better teeth than me”

“He definitely needs a cleaning! Lol”

“Bad dentist. Must look elsewhere.”

And, “Looks like he ate somebody’s dentures.”

EQUIP YOUR LAB FOR SUCCESS

If you’re looking for a dental lab management software that will help your lab create much more aesthetically-pleasing restorations for your doctors and their patients, take a look at Evolution. If you’d like to learn more about the best dental lab management solution available, feel free to contact us to schedule a free demo for your lab.