TM
Common Name: Smalltooth Cookiecutter Shark, Cigar Shark
Scientific Name: Isistius brasiliensis
Size: Up to 50cm
Found in: Most tropical and warm-temperate oceans.
Population Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2011)
Tooth Shape:
Cookiecutter Sharks have small sharp teeth which are used to attach to their prey and extract a small cookie-shaped plug of flesh.
Their prey includes marine mammals , sharks, stingrays and other large fish.They have also been known to feed on squid and copepods.
Reproduction:
Viviparous - Pups develop inside the mother and are nourished by a yolk sac. Pups are born live in litters of 6-12 and measure around 15cm in length.
Interesting Facts:
The underside of the Cookiecutter shark is covered in a dense network of tiny light producing cells, which produce a bioluminescence in the form of a greenish glow.
The two species can be differentiated by tooth numbers, colouration and fin positions.
The Smalltooth Cookiecutter shark exhibits nocturnal vertical migration of around 3km every evening.
Cookiecutter sharks have even been recorded trying to take a bite out of submarines!
The Largetooth Cookiecutter shark is reported to have the largest teeth relative to body size of any living shark.
The Largetooth Cookiecutter shark is relatively rare, only ten specimens have been recorded. Little is known about this species.
Karsten Hartel
Common Name: Largetooth Cookiecutter Shark, Cigar Shark
Scientific Name: Isistius plutodus
Size: Around 42cm
Found in: Deepwater oceans including the Pacific and Atlantic.
Population Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2011)
Tooth Shape:
The Largetooth Cookiecutter shark has 19 large teeth in its lower jaw which are used to attach to their prey and extract a small cookie-shaped plug of flesh.
Their prey includes marine mammals and large fish.They have also been known to feed on squid.
Reproduction:
Unknown
© Australian Museum
NOAA Observer Project
