Which shark is known for taking round cookie-shaped bites out of prey?

The cookiecutter shark is known for taking round, cookie-shaped bites out of prey. It attaches to a larger animal with powerful suction, then uses its interlocking lower teeth to slice out a circular plug of tissue.

The resulting wounds average about 5 centimetres across and can be roughly 7 centimetres deep. Bite marks have been found on whales, dolphins, seals, tuna, rays, submarines, undersea cables, and other sharks. The cookiecutter shark also eats smaller prey whole, including squid and small fishes, so it is both a parasite-like feeder and an active predator.

This small, cigar-shaped shark lives in warm open-ocean waters worldwide and migrates vertically each day, rising toward the surface after dusk. Its underside is covered with light-producing photophores, while a dark throat collar may disguise its silhouette. It is sometimes confused with the goblin shark or megamouth shark, but neither is responsible for the signature circular plugs.