Cookiecutter sharks, also known as cigar sharks, get their name from their habit of gouging out round chunks when feeding on other animals
Cookiecutter sharks, also known as cigar sharks, get their name from their habit of gouging out round chunks when feeding on other animals
A young boy has received a bizarre and painful injury after being bitten by a rare shark.

Jack Tolley, 7, was bitten by a cookiecutter shark while swimming in Alma Bay on Magnetic Island in north Queensland on Friday, according to the Courier Mail.

He lost a chunk of flesh from his calf stretching 73mm in diameter after he was bitten by the rare shark.

The Tolley family were on holiday from Victoria when the attack happened, and Jack's father David said his mother Amy and older brother Matthew were also swimming in the water with him.

'Medically recorded, he's only the second [person] in Australia to be bitten and it's a pretty nasty bite,' Mr Tolley said.

'We don't want this to happen to anyone else.'

Jack Tolley lost a chunk of flesh from his calf stretching 73mm in diameter after he was bitten by a rare shark
Jack Tolley lost a chunk of flesh from his calf stretching 73mm in diameter after he was bitten by a rare shark
Paramedic Wayne Harper treated the youngster's bite wound and said no one could identify what had caused the injury.

'I could see down to the fatty tissue, almost down to the bone,' he said.

Apart from the physical scarring Jack doesn't seem to be too affected by the bite, and has been researching cookiecutter sharks.

'They bite you, then flip upside down so they cut through the flesh, then they have a little vacuum to suck the chunk out,' he said.

Cookiecutter sharks, also known as cigar sharks, get their name from their habit of gouging out round chunks when feeding on other animals.

The Tolley family were on holiday from Victoria when the attack happened
The Tolley family were on holiday from Victoria when the attack happened