Female Shark Gives Birth With No Male Contact

A female shark gave birth at a zoo in Chicago without ever having any contact with a male shark.

The Brookfield Zoo’s press release said that the female epaulette shark lives in her own habitat at the zoo and that she had not been housed with a male since arriving at the zoo in 2019. At the time, the shark was 3 years old and her species doesn’t reach sexual maturity until around 7 years of age, the release noted.

“On August 23, an epaulette shark pup hatched at Brookfield Zoo,” the release read. “The hatching wasn’t unusual, but what is, is the way the shark embryo developed. … Under these circumstances, animal care staff believe the female produced a fertile egg without needing to be fertilized by a male’s genetic material.”

“This reproductive process known as parthenogenesis is when an embryo develops from an unfertilized egg cell,” the release added. “Parthenogenesis is a natural occurrence in some invertebrates, but less so in complex vertebrates, including sharks. It is believed this is the second Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ accredited facility to report a potential epaulette shark pup produced by an asexual reproduction. The first was at New England Aquarium, where Brookfield Zoo’s adult females originated.”

“We are happy to report that our epaulette pup has been eating well on her diet of finely chopped capelin, minced squid tentacles, and other finely chopped seafood,” Mike Masellis, a lead animal care specialist at Brookfield Zoo, said.

“Our colleagues at New England Aquarium have been a great resource as shark pups produced parthenogenetically can be very delicate,” he added. “We are looking forward to guests being able to see the pup.”

The now 2-month-old shark now measures 5 to 6 inches in length. Once full grown, the epaulette shark can reach up to 2½ to 3 feet, the release noted.

Visitors to the zoo can get a chance to see the shark pup living in one of the habitats just inside the Living Coast’s entrance, the release noted.