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The Cookiecutter Shark is a small, rarely-seen species of dogfish shark, measuring around 20 inches in length. With its cigar-shaped body and large green eyes, it inhabits warm, deep waters of equatorial oceans. This unique shark is known for its bioluminescent belly, glowing a pale blue-green to match the ocean's surface light, providing camouflage against predators. Primarily active at night, it uses its suctorial lips to detach circular plugs of flesh from larger marine animals. Despite its unusual feeding habits, it poses little threat to humans.
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Small, rarely-seen dogfish shark • Cigar-shaped body • 20 inches in length • Large eyes with green pupils • Live from the surface – 11,500 ft deep
Inhabits warm, deep waters of equatorial oceans, primarily in coastal waters near islands • Inhabit deep water during the day and migrate into surface waters at night
Adaptations • Bioluminescent belly • Glows a pale blue-green that matches the background light from the ocean's surface • Serves as camouflage to creatures beneath it • Has a small non-luminescent patch (appears black) • Deceives the shark's prey, smaller predatory fish (like tuna), into thinking the shark is an even smaller fish
Feeding • Derives its name from the shape of the bite marks it makes in its prey • Removes small circular plugs of flesh and skin from cetaceans and large fish • Attaches with its suctorial lips and modified pharynx • Then rotates its body to achieve a round, symmetrical cut
Conservation • Listed as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN • Not really a threat to humans • Occasionally mistake man-made objects for prey • Submarine's rubber sonar dome
