Take a dash of daring, add a large pinch of stealth, then sprinkle in a bit of camouflage and what do you get? The small, but menacing Cookiecutter shark, so named for their dining technique of twisting out neat, circular plugs of flesh from the sides of their prey, much like a cookie or biscuit cutter. Isistius brasiliensis, or the cigar shark as it is also known, is an ambush predator employing a "hit and run" technique. During the day these small (17 to 22 inches), chocolate-colored sharks rest in the deep ocean, up to a couple of miles deep. At night, they ascend towards the surface. Traveling alone, or sometimes in schools, the sharks use a bit of smoke and mirrors to confuse their potential "meals." The underside of the cookiecutter emits light, allowing them to blend in with the lighter ocean surface. This makes the darker collar-like stripe around their necks stand out. Researchers infer that this stripe acts as a lure, drawing fish or marine mammals closer. Then, with a sneaky and fast dash, they bore into their prey, holding on with fleshy, sucker-like lips, and quickly twisting out a meal of flesh. Then off they flee, quick as can be. Cookiecutter bites have been documented on whales, seals, dolphins, sharks and fish. Rubber seals and coatings on Navy submarines have had to replaced due to cookiecutter chomps. In 2009, the first cookiecutter attack on a human was documented, right here in Hawaii. A 61 year-old long distance swimmer was attempting a night-time swim across the Alenuihaha Channel from Hawaii to Maui, when he felt a sharp pin prick on his lower chest. With a yelp, he swam over to the rescue boat that accompanied him, but before he could get out of the water the cookicutter managed a second bite, twisting out a plug from his calf. One skin graft and nine months later, the wound was healed. From the shark's point of view, it just want cookie, it eat cookie, "Om nom nom nom."
1 Comment
sora
6/20/2014 07:12:54 am
poor animals
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