An aquarium is trying to figure out how it gained a new baby shark in one of its tanks where only two females were present. The swell shark, affectionately named Yoko after the Chumash word for shark (‘onyoko,) hatched from an egg at Shreveport Aquarium, in Shreveport, Louisiana, earlier this month. The egg was first spotted around eight months ago, but may have gone undetected for a while, the aquarium said in a press release. Staff at the aquarium determined that neither of the female sharks in the tank had been in contact with a male for over three years (the gestation period for a swell shark is 9–12 months, depending on the water temperature.) The aquarium thinks a process called parthenogenesis—a rare phenomenon in which females produce offspring without male fertilization—could be the reason for the new arrival. It could also be down to delayed fertilization, in which fertilization takes place a long time after mating. The team are hoping to determine exactly how Yoko came to be when the pup is big enough for a blood draw in a few months’ time. “This situation is incredible and shows the resilience of this species,” said Greg Barrick, curator of live animals at the aquarium. “We are very excited in the coming months to confirm whether this was indeed a case of parthenogenesis or if it was delayed fertilization. It really proves that life... uh... finds a way.”
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