Gulf Sheepshead

Wondering if the fish you caught in a Louisiana estuary is a sheepshead? After all, the species is commonly mistaken for a juvenile black drum. Take a look in its mouth. No, really… just be prepared. The teeth you see are the fish’s namesake, and resemble sheep, or some say human’s, teeth. Gulf sheepshead have a wide range, found all the way up in Nova Scotia and as far south as Brazil, but they’re commonly found in warm Gulf of Mexico waters, in the plethora of estuaries found in coastal Louisiana. They usually stick to structures like piers and pilings, and they use those teeth to clip barnacles off those structures to eat. And as stated before, the gray bars on the side of their bodies make them easily confused with a juvenile black drum. Just make sure to check the teeth!