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Shedd Aquarium plays host to rare shark 'virgin birth'

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Published  December 19, 2022 1:26pm CST
Pets and Animals
FOX 32 Chicago

'Virgin shark birth' at Shedd Aquarium stuns researchers

An endangered zebra shark at Shedd Aquarium gave birth to an offspring without having mated in a rare instance of asexual reproduction.

CHICAGO - The Shedd Aquarium is a leader in restoring shark populations and on Monday, they announced one of their zebra sharks reproduced on her own.

Shedd Aquarium has three females and one male zebra shark in the shark reef exhibit. Zebra sharks lay eggs from which their pups hatch. 

One of the females had pups and through genetic testing, scientists determined there was only a single parent. The genetic material did not match the male in the habitat. 

They determined the female, nicknamed "Bubbles," fertilized the eggs with her own genetic material, a process called parthenogenesis. That kind of birth happens but not usually when a male is available to mate.

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Scientists said that is the basis for their study, published in the Journal of Fish Biology.

Scientists said this kind of birth has happened in only four aquariums in the world and this case helps demonstrate the need for conservation efforts.