How do sharks reproduce?
Unlike most fishes, sharks have internal fertilization. Males have claspers (modified fins) to transfer sperm into females. The majority of sharks give birth to live young, but some species lay eggs in leathery cases. Sharks that give birth to live young include the leopard shark, blue shark and white shark. Egg-laying sharks include the catshark and the swell and horn sharks. Baby sharks grow in their egg cases, nourished by yolk for several months before hatching. Depending on water temperature, they can take a year or longer to hatch.
Unlike most fishes, sharks have internal fertilization. Males have claspers (modified fins) to transfer sperm into females. The majority of sharks give birth to live young, but some species lay eggs in leathery cases. Sharks that give birth to live young include the leopard shark, blue shark and white shark. Egg-laying sharks include the catshark, the swell and horn sharks, and the largest fish of all, the whale shark. Baby sharks grow in their egg cases, nourished by yolk for several months before hatching. Depending on water temperature, they can take a year or longer to hatch.
