The southern stingray, which is found in large parts of the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, can thus reproduce through unfertilized eggs. The discovery was made by Italian researchers who observed two females of the threatened species over several years.
The sharks have lived in captivity without male company since 2010. Four years ago, researchers at an institute in Liguria, Italy, discovered that the females had reproduced.
Since then, the sharks have had offspring every year. The research results are published in the journal Scientific Reports.
"This shows that parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction) can occur annually in these sharks and definitely rules out stored sperm as the cause of reproduction", writes the author of the research study.
Parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction that allows certain animal species to produce offspring through unfertilized eggs. The phenomenon, sometimes called virgin birth, has been found among fish, reptiles, frogs, birds, spiders, and aphids.
In the spring, the stingray Charlotte made headlines when she gave birth to young at an aquarium in Georgia, USA, despite having lived as a single for eight years.
