Cookiecutter sharks
This is a cookiecutter shark:
Cookiecutter sharks are only about 1.7 feet long, but they have very large teeth. The common cookiecutter (one of two species) uses its teeth to cut out chunks of flesh from large fish as well as whales, seals, and dolphins. It may wait for such large animals to approach it rather than chase after them. The cookiecutter forms a suction cup with its lips, bites, and then swivels around to take an oval-shaped plug of flesh. Cookiecutters have also taken bites out of the rubber components of submarines and undersea cables.
The cookiecutters' scientific genus name, Isistius, is taken from Isis, the Egyptian goddess of light. Cookiecutters have many light organs on their bellies and glow in the dark. This may attract prey like whales to come close enough to be bitten.
The jaws of a cookiecutter shark:
A seal attacked by one of these sharks:
