Latest news with #ShreveportAquarium
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Shreveport Aquarium, Caddo Lake Institute to release more Paddlefish on March 2
MOORINGSPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)—Two organizations in the ArkLaTex are working together to repopulate an ArkLaTex lake with a 300 million-year-old species called Polyodon spathula. The Paddlefish, the official fish of Jefferson and Marion Counties in Texas, is often called a 'living fossil.' Paddlefish are also known as spoonbills or spoonbill catfish–though paddlefish are certainly not catfish. Fossil records show that the paddlefish species is older than the dinosaurs. Paddlefish can live up to three decades and grow to 7′ long. Some paddlefish have reached the 200 lbs. mark, and their native home is the Mississippi River Basin–which includes the Red River and other East Texas rivers, including the Sulpher, Cypress, Sabine, Neches, Angelina, Trinity, and San Jacinto Rivers. The Shreveport Aquarium is working with its partners at the Caddo Lake Institute to raise paddlefish and release them into Caddo Lake, one of the paddlefish's ancestral grounds. Supporters of the paddlefish can attend Shreveport Aquarium's Paddlefish Festival on March 2 at 10:00 a.m. to help send the fish to Caddo Lake. The event is included with an aquarium entry fee. Guests can expect a recycled art contest, animal interactions and feedings, educational displays, special guests, and face painting from noon until 2:00 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
29-01-2025
- Science
- CBC
Who's the daddy? Baby shark hatched at aquarium with no males might not have one
When an egg appeared one day in a shark tank at a Louisiana aquarium, staff were puzzled. The tank only has two resident sharks — and they're both female. What's more, neither of them have had contact with any males in over a decade. "[There was] definitely surprise," Greg Barrick, curator of live exhibits at the Shreveport Aquarium, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. But, he added, a fatherless shark — while rare — is "not out of the realm of possibility." Who's the momma? Staff at the Shreveport., La., facility first found the egg about eight months ago, though they suspect it was laid a few months before that. It went undetected because staff had no idea one of the tank's two inhabitants — female swell sharks named Ethel and Lucy — was pregnant. Then, on Jan. 3, 2025, the little pup hatched. Barrick named it Yoko, short for Onyoko, the Chumash word for shark. "She's doing great," Barrick said, noting they'll need a few months to confirm the pup's sex. "I'm saying 'she' for now. But that might change." The aquarium still isn't sure which of the two adult females is Yoko's mother, and they have no idea who the pup's father is — or if it even has one. There are two possible explanations for Yoko's sudden appearance. Either the pup's mother reproduced asexually by creating a genetic copy of herself, a phenomenon known as parthenogenesis. Or she stored away sperm from a previous sexual encounter and saved it for later, a process known as delayed fertilization. And while neither method of reproduction is a shark's first choice for making babies, they're also not as unusual as you might think. 'Not exactly cloning' Parthenogenesis occurs when a female of reproductive age is continuously ovulating, but never encounters a male to mate with, says shark scientist Bob Hueter, who is not associated with Yoko or the Shreveport Aquarium. "Over time, there's an adaptation where the females can actually self-fertilized their own eggs," said Hueter, senior advisor for the marine research organization Ocearch. "It's not exactly the same thing as cloning. But they're basically producing a sort of a copy of themselves." Parthenogenesis was first documented in sharks in 2007 when a hammerhead had a virgin birth at a U.S. zoo. It has since been observed in about a dozen species of sharks, Hueter says. It's also been documented in other animals, including fish, snakes, grasshoppers, Komodo dragons, and condors, to name a few. "It's something that evolution has built into most of the vertebrate groups of animals," Hueter said. "It doesn't occur in mammals — as far as we know yet." Saving sperm for better days The other possibility is sperm storage, or delayed fertilization, an ability first documented in the 1970s in blue sharks A female shark mates with a male, then stores her lover's sperm inside her oviducal or nidamental gland until she's ready to give birth or lay eggs — sometimes for months, or even years. Sometimes, Hueter says, fertilization is delayed until the mother reaches her breeding grounds. Sometimes it's delayed until bad weather passes by, or until food becomes more abundant. "Her body chooses to hold on to those sperm and keep them fertile, keep them viable, for a period of time until the conditions change," Hueter said. "It's another very interesting and beautiful example of evolutionary adaptation to, you know, environmental conditions." Male-free since 2014 So is Yoko a genetic copy of Ethel or Lucy? Or is she the delayed result of a long-ago tryst? Only genetic testing will confirm for sure, says Barrick, and that has to wait a few more months until Yoko is big enough to draw the necessary blood without causing harm. Samples will also be collected from Ethel and Lucy. "Is this [shark pup] genetically identical to either of the females? And if so, it's parthenogenesis," Barrick said. "Or is this different from both the females? And if so, then it's delayed fertilization and there was a father involved." The latter, he says, is unlikely. Ethel and Lucy have been with the Shreveport Aquarium for three years, with no access to males. Before that, they lived in an all-female tank at another facility, going back to at least 2014. "So if it is delayed fertilization, it is the first of its kind for that length," Barrick said. While it's not clear how long a female shark can store sperm, Hueter agrees it would be "a real stretch to imagine that it could go on for that long." Parthenogenesis, though, could have its downsides. Hueter says it's a last-ditch reproductive technique, because it doesn't allow a species to carry forward genetic diversity. That's bad news for a species in the wild if it goes on long enough, he said. But a single generation of parthenogenesis in an aquarium environment is probably fine. Still, Barrick says there have been examples of problems occurring in parthenogenesis offspring. "Unfortunately," he said, "it can cause some recessive traits that can cause some health problems to come into play." Staff are keeping a close eye on Yoko, Barrick said. But so far, the unexpected pup of unknown parentage seems both hale and hearty.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: Triple-threat storm brings feet of snow, heavy rain and severe weather
Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. It's Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. Start your day with everything you need to know about today's weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast. Portions of Texas and the northern Gulf Coast are on alert for the potential for severe weather this week from a powerful cross-country storm that's expected to dump heavy snow in the Southwest and Rockies. The FOX Forecast Center said that as the slow-moving storm system continues to slide off to the east, it will pull in warm and humid air, which will allow for strong to severe thunderstorms to fire up across Central Texas starting Wednesday night. Winter weather alerts are in effect for portions of New Mexico and Colorado as a powerful cross-country storm gains strength on its journey across the U.s., and now the Denver metro is on alert for potential impacts. As of Wednesday morning, snow is continuing to fall in Arizona's higher elevations, while some rain is falling at the lower elevations. Winter Weather Advisories and Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for portions of New Mexico and Colorado, which are next up to feel the winter storm's wrath. The snow is expected to pick up in coverage and intensity by Wednesday evening, and Denver is now on alert for potential impacts. Officials with the Shreveport Aquarium recently announced the unusual birth of a swell shark pup in a tank where only two female sharks were present. Named "Yoko" from the Chumash word "onyoko," meaning "shark," the pup was born on Jan. 3. It hatched out of an egg that was discovered by the aquarium's husbandry team about eight months ago. Aquarium officials noted that the two females in the tank with Yoko had not been contacted by a male swell shark in more than three years. Here are a few more stories you might find interesting. Watch: Maine earthquake shaking caught on webcams Giant hole in the Sun could trigger solar storms in early February Boom breaks sound barrier with American-made private supersonic jet Need more weather? Check your local forecast plus 3D radar in the FOX Weather app. You can also watch FOX Weather wherever you go using the FOX Weather app, at or on your favorite streaming service. It's easy to share your weather photos and videos with us. Email them to weather@ or add #FOXWeather to your post on your favorite social media article source: Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: Triple-threat storm brings feet of snow, heavy rain and severe weather
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Mystery' shark pup born at Louisiana aquarium where no males were present
Officials with the Shreveport Aquarium recently announced the unusual birth of a swell shark pup in a tank where only two female sharks were present. Named "Yoko" from the Chumash word "onyoko," meaning "shark," the pup was born on Jan. 3. It hatched out of an egg that was discovered by the aquarium's husbandry team about eight months ago. Aquarium officials noted that the two females that were in the tank with Yoko had not had contact with a male swell shark in more than 3 years. Given that the gestation period of swell sharks is 9-12 months, according to the Aquarium of the Pacific, the math doesn't add up for the newborn swell shark pup. Rather, it means that one of two phenomena occurred, officials said. One involves parthenogenesis, a rare form of reproduction without the need for a male, and the other is delayed fertilization, in which fertilization happens well after sharks have mated. "This situation is incredible and shows the resilience of this species," said Greg Barrick, the curator of Live Animals at Shreveport Aquarium. "We are very excited in the coming months to confirm whether this was indeed a case of parthenogenesis or if it was delayed fertilization. It really proves that life... uh... finds a way." The aquarium will determine what happened when Yoko is large enough for a blood draw, allowing the husbandry team to conduct a DNA analysis on the pup. They noted that sharks born through either parthenogenesis or delayed fertilization tend to "face significant challenges" and live shorter lives. Because of this, Yoko is being closely monitored and kept away from public eyes until it is old enough to move to a larger tank. How To Watch Fox Weather Unlike other sharks that give birth to live young, swell sharks usually release fertilized eggs into the water. Sometimes referred to as "mermaid's purses", the egg cases then attach to features such as rocks or algae, allowing the shark embryo inside to grow and later hatch from the article source: 'Mystery' shark pup born at Louisiana aquarium where no males were present
The Independent
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
‘Life finds a way:' Baby shark born in aquarium tank that only houses females
Life truly foudn a way inside of an Louisiana aquarium earlier this month when a baby shark was born inside a tank that only is home to only female species. Yoko, the new swell shark pup hatched on January 3 after it was first spotted by the aquarium's husbandry team nearly eight months ago. Shreveport Aquarium believes the egg could have even gone undetected for a further two months prior. Miraculously, Yoko arrived despite the fact only two female sharks had been present in the tank for that time and neither shark had been in contact with a male in over three years, said the Shreveport Aquarium release on Friday. Swell sharks are native to the coastal waters of the eastern Pacific and can grow to three feet in size. Curator of live animals Greg Barrick said: 'This situation is incredible and shows the resilience of this species. 'We are very excited in the coming months to confirm whether this was indeed a case of parthenogenesis or if it was delayed fertilization. He positively added, paraphrasing Jeff Goldblum's iconic line as Dr. Ian Malcolm in the original Jurassic Park: 'It really proves that life... uh... finds a way.' Marine handlers at the aquarium have opted for only one possible explanation for the phenomenon: parthenogenesis. According to the aquarium, this is a rare form of asexual reproduction or delayed fertilization, where fertilization occurs long after mating. But this is only a provisional theory, says the team. 'To confirm the exact cause, the husbandry team will take steps to karyotype the pup once it is a suitable size for a blood draw, likely after a few months. 'This DNA analysis will provide definitive confirmation of whether the hatchling is a product of parthenogenesis or delayed fertilization', they stated. Yoko's name derives from the native American Chumash word for shark which translates as 'onyoko'. The young pup was reported to be 'thriving under the care of our dedicated aquarists', said the release. However, this did not rule out concerns held by the center due to Yoko's bizarre birth. They stressed that sharks born under such circumstances could 'face significant challenges' and anticipated that Yoko could suffer a short life span. 'Should Yoko's time with us be brief, it will still leave an unforgettable legacy, contributing invaluable insights to the study of shark reproduction and conservation efforts', a statement read. The swell shark's health is currently being monitored away from the exhibit and visitors are prohibited from seeing Yoko in person. Nonetheless, the aquarium insisted that they would keep people updated on their social media. According to the Shark Trust, Swell Sharks descend from the catshark family and possess a unique threat response when they expand their bodies to double their size by swallowing water. This allows them to wedge and camouflage themselves between obscure hiding spaces.
