Experts say the case is either a rare form of asexual reproduction or an instance of (very) delayed fertilization

The Shreveport Aquarium in Louisiana kicked off 2025 with a mysterious birth. A swell shark (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum) pup hatched at the facility on January 3, yet the two female sharks present in the tank have not been in contact with a male in over three years.

The pup hatched in a tank housing two female sharks who hadn't been around any male sharks in over three years.

Yoko the swell shark was born in a habitat of all-female sharks who hadn't seen a male in years. The aquarium has two possible explanations — and hopes to get confirmation in the coming months.

When a shark egg appeared one day in a shark tank at a Louisiana aquarium, staff were puzzled. That’s because the tank only has two sharks in it — and they’re both female.

The Shreveport Aquarium in Louisiana is investigating the mysterious birth of a baby swell shark, despite no male sharks being present in the tank for three years.

In a rare case of fertilisation, a shark was born in an aquarium without the presence of a male specimen, causing a stir in the scientific community as they investigate the unusual occurrence. The egg was discovered at the Shreveport Aquarium in Louisiana,