Danna Staaf

More bizarre news out of Florida. What do you think this



has in common with this?



If you answered, "they both look really disturbing," then I can't disagree. But the more pertinent answer is that both the cookiecutter shark (top) and the squid (bottom) have photophores. As explained in a University of Florida press release:

Like squid, cookiecutters are bioluminescent, producing their own light on parts of their bodies. Researchers believe the sharks may use this specialization to hide among squid while larger fish, such as tuna, prey on the squid. The sharks then surprise the larger fish, taking bites before quickly leaving the scene.

Basically, the cookiecutter shark pretends to be a squid, luring fish who like to eat squid close, then--MUNCH--it grabs a pound of flesh and skedaddles.

Now that's disturbing.