Even during the night, however, they stay at least 300 feet below the surface. They follow a diel cycle of movement, coming closer to the surface at night, when they are more likely to be caught in fishing nets. BehaviorĬookie-cutter sharks are essentially a solitary species, coming together only to mate. Males mature at approximately 14 inches and grow to a size of 16 inches, while females mature at 16 inches and reach up to 20 inches (Stoakely 1997). When the young emerge, they are fully developed and capable of hunting for themselves. Hatching can take place after 12 to 22 months. Like other small sharks, this shark is oviparous, and the female coats her eggs in a horny casing before attaching them to rocks and seaweed. Fertilization is accomplished by his insertion of one of his claspers into the female's cloaca. The male has instead two 'claspers' (pterygopodes), located on his underside in the rear. Reproduction of the cookie-cutter shark is accomplished through internal fertilization. Females are larger than males, reaching perhaps 20 inches at full size. Coloration is medium grey to grey-brown, with a dark collar marking its throat. It has suctorial lips, small upper teeth, and large, triangular cusped lower teeth in 25 to 32 rows. The cookie-cutter shark is a typical member of the dogfish order it has no anal fin, a thin, cigar shaped body, and short snout. They tend to be found closer to islands, but they have been caught in open sea, as well. It is a deep-water fish, and wide-ranging, often found near islands.Ĭookie-cutter sharks are wide-ranging creatures, found in tropical oceanic climates all across the world. Pelagic: The cookie-cutter shark is found in seas as far north as Japan and south to Southern Australia.
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