Costs of parthenogenesis on growth and longevity in ex situ zebra sharks Stegostoma tigrinum

Simple item page
Author(s)Adams, Lance
Author(s)Lyons, Kady
Author(s)Monday, Janet
Author(s)Larkin, Elizabeth
Author(s)Wyffels, Jennifer
Date Accessioned2023-04-26T20:16:14Z
Date Available2023-04-26T20:16:14Z
Publication Date2023-02-16
DescriptionThis article was originally published in Endangered Species Research . The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01224
AbstractThe zebra shark Stegostoma tigrinum, a popular aquarium fish, is an endangered species that is known to readily reproduce both sexually and through facultative parthenogenesis while in human care. Artificial insemination trials that took place between 2011 and 2013 resulted in the hatching of 2 sexually produced (herein heterozygotes) and 10 parthenogenetic sharks that allowed for a retrospective comparison of growth, feeding and longevity between offspring produced from 2 distinct reproductive modes. Parthenogenetic offspring were generally smaller at hatch than their heterozygous counterparts and, after the first several months post-hatch, failed to increase in mass and length at the same rate as heterozygotes. Parthenogenetic offspring exhibited non-normal swimming behaviors such as spiraling, spy hopping and head standing, which may have been correlated with a gradual decline in the ability of some sharks to properly suction feed. Median lifespan for the parthenotes was 1.05 yr (range: 0.27-6.64 yr); one of the heterozygotes lived to 2.37 yr of age, and the other was alive at the time of this writing in August 2022 and had reached reproductive maturity. By contrast, the 2 longest surviving parthenotes perished just prior to reaching sexual maturity (~5.5 and ~6.5 yr). Parthenogenesis has been documented among ex situ S. tigrinum maintained in aquariums across the globe, and this study demonstrates substantial negative costs to fitness in parthenogenetic offspring compared with their heterozygous siblings. The reduced fitness of parthenotes has implications for managing populations in human care as well as for in situ conservation efforts.
CitationAdams L, Lyons K, Monday J, Larkin E, Wyffels J (2023) Costs of parthenogenesis on growth and longevity in ex situ zebra sharks Stegostoma tigrinum. Endang Species Res 50:81-91. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01224
ISSN1613-4796
URLhttps://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/32684
Languageen_US
PublisherEndangered Species Research
Keywordsreproduction
Keywordsallometry
Keywordssurvivorship
Keywordsfood consumption
Keywordsdeformities
TitleCosts of parthenogenesis on growth and longevity in ex situ zebra sharks Stegostoma tigrinum
TypeArticle
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Costs of parthenogenesis on growth and longevity.pdf
Size:
1.76 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Main article
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.22 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Open Access Publications