Did you dive in the Gili Islands yet? Were you lot lucky enough to visit the baby sharks, or pups every bit they are technically called? The Gili Islands are unique for their shark nursery of whitetip reef sharks. This is one of the reasons why nosotros started our project – to ensure the protection of the shark plant nursery.

Shark reproduction is something out of the ordinary. Information technology includes cipher less than deep wounds, mermaid'south purses and potential cloning. These incredible reproduction systems don't come as a surprise, because that the ancestors to sharks originated 400 meg years agone.

There is a big difference in shark reproduction. Some shark species lay eggs while others give birth to fully developed infant sharks. Some sharks will perform a mating dance while others will travel long distances to discover a mate. Some sharks give birth to a big litter while others give birth to a single infant shark. Convinced that shark reproduction is fascinating? Permit u.s.a. enlighten you further.

The Gili Islands are a shark nursery for Blacktip reef sharks and whitetip reef sharks. This makes it a popular holiday destination for scuba divers.

Where Do Baby Sharks Come From?

Shark reproduction happens through internal fertilization in all species of sharks. This is different from most fish, who volition send their eggs and sperm into the blue void and pray for the all-time. Sharks are a K-selected reproducer and produce small numbers of well-developed baby sharks. In the other spectrum are R-selected species who produce large numbers of poorly developed young.

Shark mating starts when the female releases chemicals into the water to concenter male attention. Some sharks, similar the hammerhead and the corking white shark, have circuitous mating rituals; including dancing, fighting, and deep diving.

One of the benefits of internal fertilization is that the female person can cull her ideal mate. In that location are species who will bluntly reject a male if he's non seen fit. Some species, like the nurse shark, choose to mate with several males during mating season. Other species again, volition store the seamen for upwardly to two years.

The actual mating of sharks is where the action happens. Imagine if yous had to perform a honey scene while being weightless in the h2o and with no hands. Non the easiest, right? Neither is it for the sharks. So they use the means they have: teeth!

The male shark bites on to the female while he inserts and hooks one of his claspers into the female person cloaca. The intimate moment leaves a encarmine mark on the female person shark. This is the reason why evolution has gifted the female person shark with a pare that's up to three times thicker than the male. Sharks also take magical healing capabilities, which allows the female person to recover from her wounds in a matter of weeks.

You can often see pregnant whitetip reef sharks in the shark nursery around the Gili Islands where they come to deliver their baby sharks.

It's Not Easy To Get A Baby Shark

Shark's gestation (pregnancy) periods are infamous for being incredibly long. Their gestation periods vary from five months to three years, though virtually sharks gestate for virtually 12 months. There are four different ways shark babies are existence brought into this world.

1. Oviparous reproduction

This is the shark reproduction method where the female shark will lay eggs in a leathery pouch. The baby sharks will then develop on their own from the egg'due south food supply. Sharks using this reproduction method spend a long time finding the right place in the shark plant nursery to hide their eggs. Other sharks stay behind to guard the eggs until they're hatched. The leathery pouch is sometimes constitute washed ashore, which is why it's also called a mermaid'southward purse. Oviparous sharks include catsharks, zebra sharks, carpet sharks, and epaulette sharks.

two. Viviparous reproduction

Through this shark reproduction method, the female shark develops the embryos inside her uterus. Here they receive nutrients and oxygen through the umbilical string, just similar humans. Viviparous sharks include bull sharks, hammerhead sharks, and whitetip reef sharks.

3. Ovoviviparous reproduction

This shark reproduction method, the female person shark develops eggs like the oviparous method. Instead of placing the eggs direct into the shark nursery, she keeps them inside her. The baby sharks are not connected to their mum through an umbilical cord. Instead, they feed on their egg'southward yolk supply, other unfertilized eggs or even the embryos of their brothers and sisters. Through the latter method, only the strongest 1-3 sharks will get built-in, which is seen in the sand tiger shark.

4. Asexual reproduction

Even though this shark reproduction method is rare, information technology is so fascinating that it deserves equal attention. It's observed with hammerheads and zebra sharks to reproduce without fertilization. Because no new genes go introduced, the babe shark is technically a clone of the mother. Asexual reproduction has only been observed with sharks in captivity. In the wild, it may be a survival method, should the female shark be incapable of locating a male shark.

Whitetip reef sharks are pregnant for about 12 months before they come into the shark nursery in the shallow reef to deliver their baby sharks.

A Baby Shark Is Born

As presently as the babe shark is born, they are ready to swim and hunt. The mother won't care for it, merely she will make sure to evangelize it in a condom place in the shark nursery. Shark nurseries are institute along coastlines, estuaries, and seamounts. In here, the water is shallow and warm and the food supply is plentiful. Baby sharks eat smaller and slower prey until they grow larger and stronger. Babe sharks are at high run a risk of being predated themselves past fish, birds or even other sharks.

The Gili Islands host a shark nursery for both black and whitetip reef sharks. The blacktip reef shark babies are by and large plant feeding in the shallow waters, where larger predators can't reach them. The whitetip reef sharks are a big attraction among scuba defined in the Gili Islands. Pregnant females come into the same place every bit they were born, to deliver their immature. The baby sharks so hide from predators under rocky and coral overhangs during the daytime. They'll stay here up until the age of four years old, but moving house when they outgrow it.

Shark's existence is threatened because of overfishing and finning. The prehistoric shark dates back 400 million years ago.

Shark Conservation For A Brighter Future

Understanding shark reproduction can make a big difference when it comes to the conservation of sharks. It is difficult for sharks to replenish themselves at the rate they are being fished. This is due to several reasons:

  • Sharks don't mature and attain their reproductive stage until the age of vii-15 years. The Greenland shark, every bit a jaw-dropping exception, doesn't attain maturity until the historic period of 150 years erstwhile.
  • Sharks have long gestation periods of upwardly to three years.
  • Sharks will often let years pass betwixt reproducing.
  • Sharks only have a few offspring at a time.
  • Shark nurseries are oftentimes located past populated areas and are experiencing habitat loss.
Sharks conservation is important because sharks can't replenish themselves at the rate they are being killed.

Sharks are nature'southward A-grade child, with 400 one thousand thousand years of development. Sharks survived what the dinosaurs didn't. But nature couldn't accept human activity into business relationship. Sharks, the mighty apex predator of the ocean, had undergone a perfect development up until the humans started over-fishing.

An estimated 100 million sharks get killed each year for their fins. In the past xv years, shark populations have decreased past sixty-ninety%. Experts estimate that most shark species will disappear within the next ten years if strong measures are non taken.

Sharks are vital for marine ecosystems. Noon predators ensure larger biodiversity and healthier populations of fish. If at that place are no sharks, fish populations volition become down, leaving thousands of people without a source of food or income.

Are you fix to do ourselves a favor and fight for shark rights? Go involved in shark and marine conservation and be part of our team of researchers on the paradise island of Gili Air.

Feel free to share

Sharks are being fished and eaten worldwide, even though they many places are sold under different names, such as flake in Australia.