‘Life finds a way:’ Baby shark born in aquarium tank that only houses females

‘It really proves that life... uh... finds a way’ said the aquarium’s curator of live animals Greg Barrick

Life truly foudn a way inside of an Louisiana aquarium earlier this month when a baby shark was born inside a tank that only is home to only female species.

Yoko, the new swell shark pup hatched on January 3 after it was first spotted by the aquarium’s husbandry team nearly eight months ago. Shreveport Aquarium believes the egg could have even gone undetected for a further two months prior.

Miraculously, Yoko arrived despite the fact only two female sharks had been present in the tank for that time and neither shark had been in contact with a male in over three years, said the Shreveport Aquarium release on Friday.

The swell shark pup – which may eventually grow to three feet – hatched January 3 and aquarists are overjoyed at the mystery arrival (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Swell sharks are native to the coastal waters of the eastern Pacific and can grow to three feet in size.

Curator of live animals Greg Barrick said: “This situation is incredible and shows the resilience of this species.

“We are very excited in the coming months to confirm whether this was indeed a case of parthenogenesis or if it was delayed fertilization.

He positively added, paraphrasing Jeff Goldblum’s iconic line as Dr. Ian Malcolm in the original Jurassic Park: “It really proves that life... uh... finds a way.”

The swell shark pup hatched January 3 and aquarists are overjoyed at the mystery arrival (Shreveport Aquarium/Facebook)

Marine handlers at the aquarium have opted for only one possible explanation for the phenomenon: parthenogenesis.

According to the aquarium, this is a rare form of asexual reproduction or delayed fertilization, where fertilization occurs long after mating.

But this is only a provisional theory, says the team.

“To confirm the exact cause, the husbandry team will take steps to karyotype the pup once it is a suitable size for a blood draw, likely after a few months.

“This DNA analysis will provide definitive confirmation of whether the hatchling is a product of parthenogenesis or delayed fertilization”, they stated.

Yoko’s name derives from the native American Chumash word for shark which translates as ‘onyoko’.

The young pup was reported to be “thriving under the care of our dedicated aquarists”, said the release.

However, this did not rule out concerns held by the center due to Yoko’s bizarre birth. They stressed that sharks born under such circumstances could “face significant challenges” and anticipated that Yoko could suffer a short life span.

“Should Yoko’s time with us be brief, it will still leave an unforgettable legacy, contributing invaluable insights to the study of shark reproduction and conservation efforts”, a statement read.

The swell shark’s health is currently being monitored away from the exhibit and visitors are prohibited from seeing Yoko in person. Nonetheless, the aquarium insisted that they would keep people updated on their social media.

According to the Shark Trust, Swell Sharks descend from the catshark family and possess a unique threat response when they expand their bodies to double their size by swallowing water. This allows them to wedge and camouflage themselves between obscure hiding spaces.