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.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Permission of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
Tāpiritia te tākupu hou