Female shark reportedly lays eggs after four years of no contact with males
At
Brookfield Zoo Chicago - Brookfield Zoo Chicago Press Room
https://www.brookfieldzoo.org//Epaulette-Shark-Hatches-at-Brookfield-Zoo
Shark has virgin birth after no male contact for 4 years in Chicago zoo | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/animals/sharks/shark-has-virgin-birth-after-no-male-contact-for-4-years-in-chicago-zoo
Mammals, including humans, cannot reproduce asexually because they need to obtain certain genes from sperm. On the other hand, even in species that normally reproduce sexually, cases of 'virgin conception,' in which children are born from asexual eggs, have been observed in birds, sharks, lizards, and snakes. In June 2023, the first case of parthenogenesis was reported, in which a female crocodile who had not come into contact with a male gave birth to a child with almost the same genes as its parent, like a clone.
First case of crocodile 'virgin pregnancy' reported - GIGAZINE
by Šarūnas Burdulis
In 2023, a mammoth nurse shark (epaulet shark), which lives in the shallow waters of Australia and New Guinea, became a hot topic for asexual reproduction. This shark is less than 1m long, has a long and slender body shape with oar-like fins, and moves as if walking in shallow waters or on the seabed.
A three-year-old female epaulette shark arrived at Brookfield Zoo in 2019. She had been kept without contact with males for several years, but from 2022, as she was growing into an adult, she began laying two to four eggs per month. According to a statement from the zoo, these eggs are usually infertile and do not hatch, but one day only one egg was fertilized, and five months later a baby shark hatched.
The Brookfield Zoo posted on Facebook the birth of the parthenogenetic baby shark, which is about 12-15cm long and two months old.
In addition, the following is a movie provided to the news media by Brookfield Zoo. You can see that the child's epaulette shark is moving as if walking on the ground using its fins.
Baby epaulette shark hatches at Brookfield Zoo - YouTube
'Parthenogenesis occurs naturally in some invertebrates, but it is less common in complex vertebrates such as sharks,' said Mike Maselis, Brookfield Zoo's chief animal care specialist. 'This is the second time an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facility has reported a possible asexual birth of epaulette shark larvae. Baby sharks born through parthenogenesis are very delicate, but the baby epaulette sharks born at our aquarium are thriving on a diet of finely chopped capelin and minced squid.'
The parthenogenetic baby epaulette shark is on display to visitors at Brookfield Zoo, with careful consideration given to its health, and Maselis said, 'We're looking forward to visitors being able to see the baby shark.'
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