Swell shark hatches without male shark present in the tank

A swell shark egg has mysteriously hatched despite no male sharks being present in the tank.

The pup, nicknamed Yoko, hatched on 3 January 2025 at the Shreveport Aquarium in Louisiana with help from the aquarium team.

The egg was discovered eight months ago but the Shreveport Aquarium believe it may have gone undetected for an additional two months.

The team said the two female sharks present in the tank had not been in contact with a male for more than three years, making the birth all the more mysterious.