Story: Sharks and rays

Jaws of a cookie-cutter shark

Jaws of a cookie-cutter shark

The cookie-cutter shark is named for the way it cuts a wound in whales, dolphins, seals and large fish. It grips the sides of its prey with fierce jaws and gouges out a circular, cookie-shaped piece of flesh. In this photograph, new teeth along the lower jaw are ready to replace the existing ones before they wear out. Other sharks also have this feature.

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How to cite this page:

Gerard Hutching, 'Sharks and rays - Deep-sea and unusual sharks', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/5321/jaws-of-a-cookie-cutter-shark (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by Gerard Hutching, published 12 Jun 2006