How does the basking shark hatch its young?
The basking shark is believed to be ovoviviparous, meaning the eggs develop and actually hatch while inside the mother. The newly born young then feed on the yolk sac inside the egg from which they were hatched, before leaving the protection of the mother’s body.
How does a shark give birth to a baby shark?
The embryos develop within an eggcase that has a thin membrane. Once developed the baby shark will hatch inside her mother, who’ll then give birth to the young. In some species the pups aren’t born immediately after hatching. Instead they stay in the uterus where they’ll feed off unfertilised eggs. This is known as oophagy.
What happens when a female basking shark becomes pregnant?
When a female basking shark becomes pregnant, the shark pups inside her feed on other unfertilized eggs inside her womb, which is called oophagy. Oddly, the female’s right ovary is the only reproductive organ to function. No one knows precisely why.
Where does a shark get its eggs from?
Some sharks lay eggs, others bear live young that are nourished inside the mother by egg yolk only. Others provide egg yolk and a rich milk-like substance called uterine milk. Some shark species are oophagous, the mother ‘lays’ many eggs into her uterus and her developing young eat them.
Why do some sharks give live birth?
Big slow growing, open sea sharks tend to give birth to live young because it gives them a survival advantage being more capable of hunting while avoiding being eaten. The young of some species have been found to carry out in-vitro cannibalism where the most mature baby eats its siblings before it is born.
How often do sharks have babies?
It is also possible that the gestation period lasts from 3 to 4 months or up to more than two years. Large sharks often have a gestation period longer than the small species and reproduce every two years , while the little ones have offspring each year.
Which sharks give birth to live babies?
Viviparous sharks give birth to live young. The number of pups in a litter ranges from 2-20 or more. Examples of viviparous sharks include the Bull sharks , Whitetip reef shark , Lemon shark , Blue shark , Mako , Porbeagle , Salmon shark , the Silvertip shark , and Hammerheads.
Do sharks lay eggs or give live birth?
Sharks are divided into two groups: those that lay eggs (oviparous), and those that give live birth (viviparous). Known as a mermaid’s purse, the egg sac of oviparous sharks allows the pup to develop.
