1095-8649/asset/olbannerleft.gif?v=1&s=aed28a71f63c365dda07a91e8610f5a2abc559f5)
1095-8649/asset/olbannerright.gif?v=1&s=836f52ec64f63e7b50f129d4e93fc277d8a3844a)
Parthenogenesis in a large-bodied requiem shark, the blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus
Article first published online: 8 OCT 2008
DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.02018.x
© 2008 The Authors Journal compilation © 2008 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles
Additional Information
How to Cite
Chapman, D. D., Firchau, B. and Shivji, M. S. (2008), Parthenogenesis in a large-bodied requiem shark, the blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus. Journal of Fish Biology, 73: 1473–1477. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.02018.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 8 OCT 2008
- Article first published online: 8 OCT 2008
- (Received 16 January 2008, Accepted 7 July 2008)
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- automixis;
- Carcharhinidae;
- diversity;
- evolution;
- genetic management
Genetic evidence is provided for parthenogenesis in a large-bodied shark, the blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus, from the speciose and commercially important family Carcharhinidae, the first verified case of asexual development in this lineage and only the second for any chondrichthyan. The parthenogenetic embryo exhibited elevated homozygosity relative to its mother, indicating that automictic parthenogenesis is the most likely mechanism. Although this finding shows that parthenogenesis is more common and widespread in sharks than previously realized and supports the early existence of parthenogenetic abilities in vertebrates, the adaptive significance of automixis in these ancient fishes remains unclear.