Find a Fish
Oophagous sharks
Shortfin Mako Shark and Porbeagle
A 50 cm long Shortfin Mako Shark embryo (CSIRO H.3213-01). Photo: T. Carter © CSIRO.
A 35 cm long Porbeagle. Photo: T. Carter © CSIRO.
A 55 cm long Porbeagle. Photo: T. Carter © CSIRO.
The Shortfin Mako Shark, Isurus oxyrinchus and Porbeagle, Lamna nasus have a type of intra-uterine cannibalism known as oophagy (egg eating). Embryos that have hatched inside the female shark eat successive batches of unfertilised eggs.
The top image shows a Shortfin Mako Shark embryo of approximately 50 cm total length. It has a distended stomach that is full of egg yolk from eggs it has been eating while still inside the body of the female shark.
The middle image shows a 35 cm Porbeagle that was collected off Hobart in November 1995. The distended stomach of this specimen is full of egg yolk from ingested eggs.
The bottom image shows a larger 55 cm Porbeagle. The stomach is swollen, but not massively distended like the smaller specimen.
The images on this page were supplied by Mr A. Graham, Collection Manager, ISR Munro Ichthyological Collection, CSIRO Division of Marine Research, Hobart.
Further reading
- Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513.
- Stevens J.D. 1987 Sharks. Golden Press. Pp. 240.
- Stevens, J.D. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, J.C.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
