Russian Fisherman Catches Fish With "Human Teeth"
By Meera Dolasia on October 8, 2014
A Russian fisherman out on a routine fishing trip on the Northern Dvina River is making
headlines across the world, thanks to his unusual catch - a fish with a full set of teeth that eerily
resemble ours. 50-year-old Aleks Korbov who revealed his find on September 29th, said that
when he first pulled the fish up, he thought it was a common bream, a freshwater fish that is
prevalent in the river.
It was only when he unhooked the already dead animal, that he noticed the human-like teeth.
Having never seen anything like it, he decided to consult with some friends at the local pub.
However, they were not of much help and even a little skeptical of the animal's existence, given
Aleks history of telling "tall tales". Fortunately this time around, the fisherman had proof to
quell their doubts.
Curious to know what kind of fish it was, Aleks decided to contact the Institute of Fisheries and
Oceanography and seek out their expert opinion. Turns out, they had never encountered
anything like it either, and had to perform a full autopsy and carry out a series of examinations,
before they could solve the mystery.
Their conclusion? It's a Pacu, which believe it or not, is a member the Piranha family. While that
may evoke images of dangerous specimens with razor-sharp teeth, Pacus are largely herbivores
that live off water plants and algae. Though they will swallow small fish if the opportunity arises,
they are not as ferocious as their carnivorous cousins and are therefore, popular with people that
like to fill their home aquariums with exotic fish. The reason the locals in Russia had never
encountered one, is because Pacus are tropical freshwater fish that are indigenous to South
America's Amazon River.
However like this one, they have been occasionally spotted in other parts of the world. Biologists
believe that it is not because the fish venture out that far. They think that the displacement is
caused by humans who dump the Pacus into non-native environments, once the fish get too big
to fit in home aquariums.
Also, Pacus are not the only ones with "human teeth". The sheepshead fish, which is found in
abundance along the Atlantic coastline from Cape Cod to the Gulf of Mexico, also share the same
trait. Except in their case, they have multiple rows of molars in both the upper and lower jaws.
This helps them crack the shells of the crustaceans they feed on.
What animal is in the picture? Explain your reasoning.
Teacher Guide
Reading & Writing Focus: What is the Author’s purpose for writing this article?
Day 1 (20-30 minutes)
Engagement and First Read!
Step 1: Have students view the picture of teeth.
Step 2: Students will answer the question: “What animal is in the picture? Explain your
reasoning.”
Step 3: Have students discuss their ideas with their tables/groups.
Step 4: Read Article
● Before reading, have students # the paragraphs in the text.
● Identify the Title and Author.
● Make predictions about the article. What will it be about?
Students “cold read” the text, highlighting in yellow any words or phrases that impede their
ability to understand the text.
Discussion: At tables, students share out highlighted words or phrases. Students attempt to
clarify for each other, then Teacher can clarify more challenging parts of the text that students
have highlighted (Students/Teacher annotate clarifications, writing synonyms or explanations
next to the highlighted words or phrases).
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Day 2 (20-30 minutes) Read with a Purpose!
Students read the author’s purpose and select one.
The authors purpose most likely was toA. Inform the reader about Pacus and why they are unusual.
B. To explain why some fish species have human looking teeth.
C. Explain how a Russian fisherman identified the strange fish he caught
D. To explain how nonnative species can end up outside their native habitat.
Discussion: Share out student answer choices about the Author’s Purpose for writing the article.
Have students re-read the text underlining (with a pencil!) evidence to support the answer they
chose for the Author’s Purpose for writing the article... A., B., C., or D.
Day 3 (20-30 minutes)
Write with a Purpose!
Students write a paragraph explaining the Author’s Purpose for writing the article.
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Students write their claim statement (topic sentence).
They will use the multiple choice answer they selected to formulate their topic sentence.
Students will add evidence from the text to support their topic sentence.
Students should add in their own thinking in support of the evidence they found in the
text.
● Students should conclude by restating the author’s purpose for writing the article.
Student Guide
Reading & Writing Focus: What is the Author’s Purpose for writing this article?
Day 1 (20-30 minutes)
Think about and Discuss
What animal is in the picture? Explain your reasoning.
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First Cold Read!
You will read the article titled “Russian Fisherman Catches Fish With Human Teeth”.
STEP 1: Before reading, number the paragraphs in the text.
Identify the Title and Author. Make predictions about the article. What will it be about?
STEP 2) Read the text and highlight in yellow any words or phrases that impede your ability to
understand the text.
STEP 3) Discussion: At your table, share out the words or phrases you highlighted. Clarify for each
other, then ask the Teacher to clarify more challenging parts of the text. Annotate your clarifications by
writing synonyms or explanations next to the words or phrases you highlighted in yellow.
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Day 2 (20-30 minutes)
Read with a Purpose!
STEP 1) Select one statement about the author’s purpose.
The authors purpose most likely was toA. Inform the reader about Pacus and why Pacus are unusual.
B. To explain why some fish species have human looking teeth.
C. Explain how a Russian fisherman identified the strange fish he caught
D. To explain how nonnative species can end up outside their native habitat.
STEP 2) Discussion: At your table, share out your answer choice as to the the Author’s Purpose for
writing the article. Share results with the entire class. Discuss your reasoning for the answer to the
question.
STEP 3) Re-read the text and underline (with a pencil!) evidence to support the answer you chose for the
Author’s Purpose for writing the article.
STEP 4) Draw arrows from what you underlined to the margins and explain your thinking about what
you underlined.
Day 3 & 4 if needed (20-30 minutes)
Write with a Purpose!
You will write a paragraph explaining the Author’s Purpose for writing the article “Russian
Fisherman Catches Fish with “Human Teeth”.
1. Begin your paragraph by stating the title of the text and the author.
2. Write your claim statement (topic sentence). Use the statement of purpose you chose to
formulate your topic sentence.
The authors purpose for writing this text was to … (Write your statement of
purpose here).
3. Include evidence from the text to support your topic sentence. You can cite direct quotes
from the text or paraphrase information you found.
In paragraph ____, Dolasia states, “evidence from the text that you underlined.”
Furthermore, Dolaasia explains that… paraphrase evidence from the text that you
underlined.
4. Add your own thinking and commentaries in support of the evidence you found in the
text.
This clearly shows that … explain your own thinking!
5. Students should conclude by restating the author’s purpose for writing the article.
To conclude, it is evident that the author was trying to … (Write your multiple
choice answer here).
Use the following lines to draft your paragraph.
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