One of the best feelings for a fisherman is catching a big fish. Most of the time, as a fisherman, you will know exactly what type of fish you catch and how you have to handle it properly.
But what happens when a fish you know nothing about lands on your fishing hook? Although you might not know this, there are a few fish that have teeth. Some might even be closer to your rod than you think.
Sheepshead
Another fish with teeth similar to those of a human is the sheepshead. Sheppsheads usually have rounded grinders, molars, and even incisors in their mouths. They consume using these teeth mostly crustaceans or small fish.
You will usually find sheepshead in North and South American waters. People can see them especially on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the United States. You can actually spot specimens of this fish from Brazil to the Gulf of Mexico and from Florida to Cape Cod.
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This is a fish that can easily reach 10 to 20 inches in size and belongs to the Sparidae family. There are also instances of sheepshead fish that have reached an astonishing size of 35 inches long.
They have a weight of 21 lbs or 9.4 kg. The sheepshead not only has human-like teeth but also a very distinguishable colored body, marked with black, vertical lines. On its dorsal fins, the fish has sharp spines.
Triggerfish
Not too long ago, in 2020 a fish became viral on social media platforms due to its human-looking teeth. The photo of this fish was shared on Twitter at first, after being caught close to Malaysia. Although there are a lot of people claiming that the photo is actually edited, this fish had big lips and front teeth very similar to a triggerfish.
We currently know of around 40 different species of triggerfish worldwide. Among them, the Picasso variety is known to have the most well-defined front teeth. There is also the clown triggerfish, another very popular fish of this breed, that has amazing-looking teeth. YOu will usually find triggerfish in subtropical and tropical waters. They eat mostly sea urchins, worms, and crabs.
Black Piranha
A lot of people are scared of piranhas and I wouldn’t say their fears aren’t justified. It’s true that piranhas will bite. The black piranha is yet another creature on the list of fish with teeth. A black piranha can reach a weight of 13 lbs and is known as the best of its species.
Most people will get chills just by talking about black piranhas. Seeing one in person is a whole different sensation. This fish has a protruding jawline with very evident razor-sharp teeth and scary blood-red eyes.
You should be very careful when you catch a piranha. This is very dangerous, even though most fishermen find a sense of accomplishment in getting a fish like this on their hook. Keep in mind that a piranha will have no problem taking one of your toes or fingers.
Map Pufferfish
The scribbled puffer, or as some people call it, the map pufferfish, is a very dangerous fish and not just because it has teeth. This fish actually has a very powerful neurotoxin on its internal organs, but also on its skin. This is why just one encounter is enough to put yourself in a very dangerous situation. The good news is that this fish is particularly shy. It will be very hard to spot and will usually choose to hide when it feels the presence of someone around it.
A map pufferfish will usually be very territorial. With its powerful bite, it will usually choose to attack and eat crustaceans, sponges, and algae. It has a type of beak made from four teeth. Its teeth will also continue to grow from their birth and throughout its lifespan. When spotting this kind of fish you should be careful, because it does pack quite a bite.
Lingcod
Lingcod are usually found around Baja, Washington, British Columbia, California, and the Gulf of Alaska. They will usually look for rocky seafloors. They are also very popular for their enormous mouths and heads. They are often called Bucketheads.
Lingcod are also found in a variety of colors, from shades of grey to deep browns, and from dark greens to mustard yellow, making them amazing camouflagers. YOu will know you’re dealing with a lingcod when you see its copper-colored spotting on its back.
The lingcod has 18 very large but also very sharp teeth. You should also know that the adult lingcod is one of the most aggressive predators. They usually like to eat all kinds of sea creatures that live on the bottom of the water, like octopuses, crabs, and squids. Some lingcod also eat smaller lingcod fish if they’re hungry enough.
They will also experience pretty rapid growth. They will easily grow to impressive weights and lengths, with specimens reaching even 80 lbs in weight and 5 feed in length. They will usually live to anywhere between 14 to 20 years.
Payara
This fish, also known as the Dracula fish, is another one with amazingly visible teeth. The payara has two fangs coming out of its lower jaw, similar to the vampires you see in movies.
These fangs reach amazing lengths, almost similar to a human’s little fingers. Along with its vampire teeth, it also has tens of other very sharp teeth with almost knifelike edges. Payaras have a similar natural habitat to payaras, being found mostly in the Amazon basin of South America.
An interesting fact is that piranhas are afraid of payaras more than humans are afraid of piranhas because payaras naturally feed on piranhas. This is why this is one fish you should try to avoid at all costs. A payara will attach as swiftly as a cobra, which is impressive for a fish. Keep in mind to handle this fish with as much caution as possible when faced with one.
Pacu
Pacus are usually found inside the Amazon River Basin in South America. These are also fish with teeth similar to the ones humans have.
Although these fish are very popular in pet stores, a lot of people find themselves needing to free the creatures into the wild as they can easily outgrow small to medium-sized aquariums. When reaching adulthood, these fish can reach anywhere between 2 and 100 lbs in weight and 7 to 45 inches in length, depending on their specific breed.
Pacus are closely related to piranhas. Although piranhas are very scary, pacus aren’t part of the normal nightmares. Pacus will, in fact, tend to eat mostly nuts they crack and plants they grind using their two sets of blunt molars, which is why they got the cute nickname “vegetarian piranha”.
There are some fish that have teeth just like we humans have. So be prepared and don’t look too impressed when you catch one. Instead, try to be proud that you’re one of the few people that got a chance to see one from a close distance. But keep in mind that most of these fish pack quite a bite, so be as careful as possible around them.