Charlotte, a stingray known for her miraculous pregnancy, passed away at the Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO in North Carolina. Charlotte had become famous when she was found to be pregnant despite not sharing her tank with a male stingray. In February, Charlotte was believed to be carrying up to four young.
Officials with the Shreveport Aquarium recently announced the unusual birth of a swell shark pup in a tank where only two female sharks were present.It hatched out of an egg that was discovered by the aquarium’s husbandry team about eight months ago.
Given that the gestation period of swell sharks is 9-12 months, according to the Aquarium of the Pacific, the math doesn’t add up for the newborn swell shark pup.One involves parthenogenesis, a rare form of reproduction without the need for a male, and the other is delayed fertilization, in which fertilization happens well after sharks have mated.“This situation is incredible and shows the resilience of this species,” said Greg Barrick, the curator of Live Animals at Shreveport Aquarium.
They noted that sharks born through either parthenogenesis or delayed fertilization tend to “face significant challenges” and live shorter lives. Sometimes referred to as “mermaid’s purses”, the egg cases then attach to features such as rocks or algae, allowing the shark embryo inside to grow and later hatch from the egg.
Aquarium Births Louisiana Sharks
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Aquarium surprised by shark born in a tank without malesLaura is a science news writer, covering a wide variety of subjects, but she is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life. Laura is a proud former resident of the New Jersey shore, a competitive swimmer, and a fierce defender of the Oxford comma.
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