In a groundbreaking discovery, a marine biologist has filmed a unique mating event involving three large leopard sharks, the first such observation of this behavior in the wild. The encounter, which took place in the Pacific between New Zealand and Australia, is providing scientists with crucial new information about the endangered species.
The footage was captured by Dr. Hugo Lassauce in French territory New Caledonia. After spotting the sharks, he waited for an hour before the trio began their mating ritual. Dr. Lassauce described the rapid sequence of events: “It was over quickly for both males, one after the other. The first took 63 seconds, the other 47.” Following the encounter, the two males were reportedly exhausted, becoming immobile on the seafloor, while the female actively swam away.
The three sharks, each measuring about 2.3 meters in length, are part of a species listed as endangered. Due to the scarcity of information on their natural mating habits, this discovery is highly significant. Researchers believe it could help them better understand the species’ reproductive behavior, which could, in turn, aid in artificial insemination and rewilding efforts in places like Australia.
According to a paper co-authored by Dr. Christine Dudgeon in the Journal of Ethology, leopard sharks in captivity have been observed engaging in much longer copulation periods, some lasting up to five minutes. Dr. Dudgeon noted that the involvement of two males in a single event was both “surprising and fascinating.” The study also observed that the “lack of interest from the male toward the female after copulation coupled with the female swimming to separate areas is common in many shark species.”
Source: Metro
