The shark preferred loneliness and asexual reproduction to two healthy males

A female zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum) gave birth by fertilizing her own eggs.

shared an aquarium, she was not interested.Scientists described this case in an article for the Journal of Fish Biology. According to the study's authors, this unusual scenario challenges earlier assumptions about the risks and benefits of parthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction sometimes called "virgin birth."

“This is only the second case known to us whenSharks are born through parthenogenesis even when they had access to healthy partners, explains Kevin Feldheim, author of the study. “We have taken another step in studying why these ‘immaculate conceptions’ occur.”

An adult zebra shark swims among the fish. Among vertebrates, asexual reproduction is rare.
Image Credit: Shedd Aquarium/Brenna Hernandez

Several species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and fishuse parthenogenesis as a backup biological reproductive plan when they have difficulty finding a mate. But this process can be risky; animals born as a result of parthenogenesis typically have a shorter lifespan and are often infertile.

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Cover: adult zebra shark on display at Wild Reef at Shedd Aquarium, photo: Shedd Aquarium/Brenna Hernandez

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