A shark's gender can be determined with an inspection.
Identifying the gender of a baby shark requires a delicate examination of the shark pup. Surprisingly, many shark pups, or baby sharks, are small enough to be held in two hands when they are born. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, sharks can reproduce in different ways. Some sharks give birth by laying eggs, while other sharks engage in live birth. According to Science Daily, some sharks are capable of reproducing asexually as well as sexually. The gender of the shark is determined at conception.
Instructions
Identify Gender
1. Put on the rubber gloves. Wearing gloves is optional, but highly suggested. This will keep the inspector from accidentally scratching the delicate skin of the pup shark as well as prevent the transfer of unnecessary germs.
2. Turn the pup shark carefully so that the bottom half of the body is facing up. Hold the shark firmly with both dorsal fins (located on top of the body) secured firmly. Locate the pelvic fins of the baby shark, which is the first fin on the bottom of the shark's body. The second fin is the anal fin and is located further back.
3. Find the "claspers" located between the pair of pelvic fins on the bottom of the pup shark's body. The claspers are pair of intromittent organs that are located on the external side of the body. If the pup shark has this modification of the pelvic fins, then it is male. The lack of claspers, or a smooth flat surface between the pelvic fins, indicates that the baby shark is a female.
4. Have a qualified individual dissect the animal to inspect its internal organs if the gender of the pup shark is not able to be determined by observation. Female sharks have internal ovaries, while male sharks are equipped with internal testes.
Tags: pelvic fins, baby shark, bottom shark, bottom shark body, gender shark, shark body