The cookie cutter shark (Isistius brasiliensis) is a small, aggressive shark that is known for biting round cookie-shaped chunks out of larger animals. This shark gets its name from its habit of biting circular plugs out of the flesh of its prey. The cookie cutter shark is a relatively small shark, reaching a maximum length of only 18 inches (45 cm). Despite its small size, the cookie cutter shark is a fierce predator that will attack and eat animals much larger than itself. The cookie cutter shark is found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. In the United States, this Shark is most commonly found off the coast of Hawaii.
Do Cookie Cutter Sharks Attack Humans?
Cookie cutter sharks are not known to attack humans. However, in 2009, a long-distance swimmer reported the first known case of a cookie cutter shark bite on a human. The swimmer was bitten on the thigh, and the cookie cutter shark took a plug of flesh measuring about 2×2 cm. There have been no other reports of cookie cutter shark attacks on humans since then.
Does A Cookie Cutter Shark Bite Hurt?
The cookie cutter shark is a small species of shark that gets its name from its habit of biting round cookie-sized chunks out of larger animals. While cookie cutter shark bites don’t usually kill their prey, they can be quite painful. The average cookie cutter shark bite is 2cm wide and 7cm deep. On larger animals, the shark bites deep into the skin’s tissue, but doesn’t reach muscle or bone. Many dolphins swimming near Hawaii are covered in these bites.
Why Do They Call It A Cookie Cutter Shark?
The cookie cutter shark is named after the cookie-shaped wounds that it leaves on the bodies of its prey items. The shark uses its saw-like teeth to slice off small, circular chunks of flesh from its victim, resulting in a series of deep, round wounds. These cookie-shaped bites are often found on dolphins, whales, and other large marine mammals.
Are Cookie Cutter Sharks Common?
Cookie cutter sharks are actually quite common, despite their small size. They are found in tropical and temperate waters around the world, and typically inhabit depths of around 1,000 meters. Although they are not considered commercially valuable, cookie cutter sharks are sometimes accidentally caught by fishermen.
Can A Cookie Cutter Shark Bite Through A Submarine?
Yes, cookie cutter sharks have been known to bite through submarines. The fish’s strange bite can get at the softer areas of the submarines, National Geographic’s Ed Yong reports. The fearless cookie-cutters have even disabled the most dangerous ocean creature of all—the nuclear submarine. They attacked exposed soft areas including electrical cables and rubber sonar domes.
How Many People Have Been Bitten By A Cookie Cutter Shark?
There have been three recorded instances of people being bitten by cookie cutter sharks.
Do Cookie-cutter Sharks Glow In The Dark?
Yes, cookie-cutter sharks do glowing in the dark due to light-emitting organs in its skin. The green bioluminescence is the strongest known of all sharks and the glow continues even after the shark has been taken out of the water.
What Shark Leaves A Round Bite Mark?
The cookie-cutter shark (Isistius brasilienses) leaves a round bite mark. Using their razor-sharp bottom teeth and powerful suction lips, the shark latches onto its prey and slices out a circular chunk of skin.
Where Are Cookie Cutter Sharks Found?
Cookie cutter sharks are found in warm, deep waters of equatorial oceans, primarily in coastal waters near islands. They inhabit deep waters below 1,000 m during the day and migrate into surface waters at night at around 300 m. They have been found in depths up to 3,500 m.
What Are Baby Sharks Called?
Baby sharks are called pups. Some sharks give birth to live pups and ohers lay eggs, much like a chicken!
Do Cookie Cutter Sharks Lose Their Teeth?
Cookie cutter sharks lose ther teeth in a very unique way. Unlike most sharks, who lose their teeth one at a time, cookiecutter sharks lose the complete section of lower teeth at once, as the teeth are all connected at their base. This is likely due to the fact that their diet consists mostly of hard-bodied prey, such as fish and squid. Over time, the constant grinding of their teeth wears them down, causing them to eventually fall out.
How Big Is The Cookie Cutter Sharks Bite?
The average cookie cutter shark bite is aout 2-inches across and 2.75-inches tall. However, some bites can be much larger or smaller than this depending on the size of the shark and the size of its prey.
What Is The Largest Cookie Cutter Shark?
The largest cookie cutter shark is the largetooth cookiecutter shark. This species reaches a maximum known length of 42 cm (17 in). The largetooth cookiecutter shark feeds by gouging out chunks of flesh from larger animals, including bony fishes, sharks, and marine mammals, and is able to take larger bites than its smaller relatives.
How Long Can A Cookie Cutter Shark Live?
The lifespan of a cookiecutter shark is unknown. However, they are known to reach sexual maturity at 14-16 inches in length.
