DiscoverSpeciesSharks and rays
Cookie cutter shark
Isistius brasiliensis
- Usual depth50–1,360 m
- Water temperature13–30 °C
- Best monthsMay, September, and November
- How commonOccasional
Photo credit: (c) Cricket Raspet, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
The cookiecutter shark, also called the cigar shark, is a species of small squaliform shark in the family Dalatiidae. This shark lives in warm, oceanic waters worldwide, particularly near islands, and has been recorded as deep as 3.7 km (2.3 mi). It migrates vertically up to 3 km (1.9 mi) every day, approaching the surface at dusk and descending with the dawn. Reaching only 42–56 cm (16.5–22 in) in length, the cookiecutter shark has a long, cylindrical body with a short, blunt snout, large eyes, two tiny spineless dorsal fins, and a large caudal fin. It is dark brown, with light-emitting photophores covering its underside except for a dark "collar" around its throat and gill slits.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Cookiecutter shark”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 7 records
- February: 7 records
- March: 14 records
- April: 17 records
- May: 29 records
- June: 7 records
- July: 11 records
- August: 14 records
- September: 21 records
- October: 15 records
- November: 32 records
- December: 13 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 50–1,360 m · Deepest record: 3,500 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 13–30 °C
Photos
(c) Cricket Raspet, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Cookie cutter shark, Cookiecutter shark, Cookie-cutter shark, Cigar Shark, cookie-cutter shark, cookiecutter shark, Cookie cutter shark, Cookiecutter shark, Luminous Shark, Pigmy Shark, Smalltooth Cookiecutter Shark, Smooth Cookiecutter Shark, South China Cookiecutter Shark
Names in 6 more languages
- German
- Zigarrenhai
- Spanish
- tiburón cigarro, Tiburón cortador de galletas, tollo cigarro
- French
- squalelet féroce, Squalelet féroce
- Indonesian
- Hiu pemotong
- Japanese
- Darumazame, ダルマザメ
- Simplified Chinese
- 巴西達摩鯊, 沙魚, 雪茄達摩鯊, 雪茄鮫
Other scientific names: Inistius brasiliensis, Isistius labialis, Leius ferox, Scymnus brasiliensis, Scymnus torquatus, Scymnus unicolor, Squalus fulgens, Tristius brasiliensis
Similar species
- Bigtooth Cookiecutter
Isistius plutodus
Darkie CharlieDalatias licha
Pygmy sharkEuprotomicrus bispinatus
Spined pygmy sharkSqualiolus laticaudus
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 298 open-data records from 1891 to 2021.
- Species data updated November 3, 2026.
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