Shark Reproduction

Shark Breeding

One of the main differences between sharks and other animals is that the males has claspers that they use to get the sperm into the females. There is one on each side of the body and they alternate which side to use. Some people have mistaken these claspers for penises which is where they theory that male sharks have two penises comes from.

The females emit various types of chemicals into the water during mating season. Since they are normally living apart from males, these chemicals attract them together. A sign that sharks are going to mate soon is when the male is seen spinning circles around the female over and over.

The males often let the females know they are interested in mating by biting them in various places. Some researchers believe these bite marks take place during conception too in order to help keep the two sharks entwined for the process to be completed. The females aren’t harmed by this biting though. In fact, they have thicker skins and it is believed this is one of the reasons for it.

There are three ways in which sharks reproduce and give birth to new pups.

Giving Birth to Live Sharks (Viviparity)

There are species of sharks that give birth to live sharks called pups. They only have a few at a time and they abandon them after delivery. Baby sharks instinctively know how to survive immediately. The mother shark goes on about her business without giving them a second thought. Shark mothers do not take care of their young.

Laying Eggs (Oviparity)

Other species of sharks will lay eggs in a well hidden area. The eggs are in a protective case that makes it difficult for predators to get to them even if they do find them. There can be only a few or more than 100 eggs laid at a time by a female shark. Since sharks don’t have very many enemies even the little ones are often able to survive at a very high rate.


Eggs develop inside the Mother (Ovoviviparity)

Most sharks use this method of reproduction. The eggs hatch inside the mother and they continue to be nourished by the yolk of the egg and some fluids from the mother. The young born alive and fully functional.

Some species practice a form of cannibalism known as oophagy, which means that they will eat the ramaining eggs that have not hatched in order to grow and survive.


Asexual Reproduction

There have been cases where female sharks in captivity have had no contact with a male but become pregnant. This means that asexual reproduction is a possibility with some type of sharks. This could be a significant reason why they have been able to evolve so easily and to continue with high population numbers.

However, it is believed that asexual reproduction doesn’t take place too often in the natural environment. This is due to an abundance of both males and females out there to successfully mate with. Some of the sharks in captivity who have been part of asexual reproduction only have the DNA of the female so this finding definitely lends credibility to the concept.


Shark Reproduction for survival

Sharks have always seemed to be able to reproduce at high enough numbers that no intervention is needed. Yet there is concern about the number of them dropping in their natural environment. Sharks have become quite a commodity and that has many animal activists concerned.

Some species of sharks have been placed in captivity to try to help their numbers increase again. Yet they seem to have a difficult time for the most part adapting to being in captivity. Even when the environment is designed to significantly resemble their natural locations they can tell the difference. As a result it can hamper their reproductive drives.