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Fishermen in Australia pulled out a creepy fish covered with dozens of strange circular wounds (photo)

Bylim Olena

Fishermen in Australia pulled out a creepy fish covered with dozens of strange circular wounds (photo)
Cookiecutter Shark attacks swordfish

In Australia, fishermen caught a swordfish with a white body covered with strange spots. It turned out that these are wounds that the fish received as a result of an attack by cookiecutter sharks, as they suck on the victim with their mouths and then begin to rotate to "cut" pieces of flesh from the victim with their sharp teeth.

According to fisherman Tony Walker on his YouTube channel, he and his friends were fishing off the northeast coast of the Coral Sea. They caught this injured fish while it was still alive. However, it soon died.

Xiphias gladius. Source: Courtesy of TK Walker
Xiphias gladius. Source: Courtesy of TK Walker
Xiphias gladius. Source: Courtesy of TK Walker
Xiphias gladius. Source: Courtesy of TK Walker

Read also: Whales gathered in heart shape before washing ashore in Australia (video)

Live Science writes that swordfish (Xiphias gladius) are interesting marine creatures and can often be found in the waters around Australia and Tasmania. Cookiecutter sharks (Isistius brasiliensis) are one of the most mysterious predators. They have unique jaws like cookie cutters that can cut pieces of meat from their prey. These predators, which are up to 50 centimeters long, are known for their aggressiveness and can attack animals much larger than they are.

A cutter shark attacking a whale. Source: Pally/Alamy Stock Photo
A cutter shark attacking a whale. Source: Pally/Alamy Stock Photo

The mystery of these sharks lies in their hunting strategy. They can hide from their prey by emitting light from their bodies through photophores, making them invisible to other creatures. This effect gives the impression that it is a small fish, which encourages other predators to attack. But as soon as a larger predator approaches, the shark opens its jaws and delivers the decisive blow, biting off a piece of flesh from its victim.

Researchers say that cookiecutter sharks are capable of attacking almost anything that moves near the coast of Australia. They can go down to the depths to hunt and terrorize animals of all sizes, including whales, killer whales, great white sharks and, as it turned out, swordfish.

Earlier, wildlife experts in Ireland decided to stop the autopsy of the whale that washed up on the beach. They fear that the whale's carcass could explode.

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