Marine vandal has a gutful!

  • Author(s)
    Mark McGrouther
  • Category
    Science
  • Published
    12 April 2013
  • Read time
    2 minutes

Leptocephalus expert Mike Miller captured one of the world's weirdest creatures during a recent research 'cruise'.

The Smalltooth Cookiecutter Shark gets its name from the unusual way it feeds. Its impressive teeth are used to carve out a 'cookie' of muscle from its prey, which includes larger fishes and mammals (including humans). Despite its taste for large prey, the species only grows to about 50 cm in length.

Feeding scars are commonly seen on the bodies of victims. Mike however, took the story to a new level by dissecting a freshly-caught specimen and photographing its last meal. He reported that there were many tunas in the area where the shark was caught and by the looks of the 'cookie', tuna was probably on the menu.

Smalltooth Cookiecutter Shark, Isistius brasiliensis
Smalltooth Cookiecutter Shark and 'cookie'
Smalltooth Cookiecutter Shark meal

Some years back we showed that one cookiecutter had a 'taste for' the sonar dome of a submarine. Thanks to Mike, we can now add midwater trawl nets to the list of non-biological items damaged by the species.  Mike stated that "The little shark ripped two holes in the upper net. I guess he could not figure out how to escape and was caught."

Damaged net
The damaged codend of an Isaacs-Kidd midwater trawl net. The likely culprit was a Smalltooth Cookiecutter Shark that was in the catch. Image: Michael Miller
© Michael Miller

Oh ... and one more thing.  If you think the Smalltooth Cookiecutter Shark has big teeth, have a look at its relative, the aptly named Largetooth Cookiecutter Shark.

Reference:

  1. Honebrink, R., Buch, R., Galpin, P., & G. Burgess. 2011. First Documented Attack on a Live Human by a Cookiecutter Shark (Squaliformes, Dalatiidae: Isistius sp.). Pacific Science. 65(3): 365-374.