Cookie Cutter Shark
Isistius brasiliensis
- Group: Shark
- Typical depth: 0–3700 m
- Max size: 42 cm
- For divers: safe
- IUCN status: LC
Small but notorious, the cookie cutter shark latches onto whales, dolphins, tuna and even other sharks and twists out a neat round plug of flesh, leaving crater shaped scars. It rises from the deep toward the surface each night, and its belly glows with light organs thought to lure larger animals within reach.
Taxonomy: Animalia › Chordata › Elasmobranchii › Squaliformes › Dalatiidae › Isistius
Species data via the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), AphiaID 215612.
FAQ
- How deep does the Cookie Cutter Shark live?
- The Cookie Cutter Shark (Isistius brasiliensis) is typically found at 0–3700 m.
- Is the Cookie Cutter Shark dangerous to divers?
- The Cookie Cutter Shark is harmless to divers.
- How big does the Cookie Cutter Shark get?
- The Cookie Cutter Shark grows to about 42 cm.