Aquarium welcomes Yoko the baby shark after mystery pregnancy
The Louisiana Aquarium welcomes a baby shark born under mysterious conditions, the aquarium said Friday.
The bloat shark, nicknamed Yoko, hatched on January 3. shreveport aquarium. What makes the birth a mystery is that the tank is home to two female sharks who had sex with men more than three years ago.
“This situation is incredible and demonstrates the resilience of this species,” Greg Barrick, the Shreveport Aquarium’s on-site animal curator, said in a news release.
The egg was first discovered eight months ago, but it may have gone undiscovered in the tank for a month or two, according to the aquarium. The aquarium will work to determine whether the baby sharks are born through solitogenesis (also known as asexual reproduction) or through delayed fertilization. DNA analysis A blood draw may be available once the PUP is large enough, but may take several months.
“We’re very excited over the next few months to confirm whether this is indeed a case of parthenogenesis or whether it’s delayed fertilization,” Barrick said. He added: “This is really proof that life… uh … found a way,” he said, referring to 1993’s “Jurassic Park,” in which Jeff Goldblum said the same while discussing how a group of female dinosaurs reproduced words.
shreveport aquarium
While the shark Yoko, who is currently monitoring the exhibit, is “thriving,” the aquarium warns that sharks born through a rare reproductive event face significant challenges.
“If Yoko was with us for only a short time, she would still have left an unforgettable legacy, providing valuable insights for research into shark reproduction and conservation efforts,” the aquarium said in a news release.
According to the aquarium, bloat sharks are native to the coastal waters of the eastern Pacific. They are known for their ability to expand their bodies with water or air. While most shark creatures give birth to live offspring, some species, such as the bloated shark, are ovizoans, meaning they lay eggs.
Solitary phenenogenesgesery may occur in sharklizards and snake. it may also occur in some species birds.
