Video captures shark threesome for the first time... Why is this such a breakthrough?

Scientists were excited to witness this shark threesome, and here's why.
Text: Óscar Ontañón Docal
Published 2025-09-24

In a world-first, marine biologists have filmed a threesome between leopard sharks in the Pacific Ocean near New Caledonia. The footage shows two males mating sequentially with a female, an extremely rare event never documented in the wild until now.

The sharks belong to an endangered species whose reproductive behavior remains poorly understood. Dr. Hugo Lassauce, who recorded the encounter, described the males as quickly exhausted after mating, while the female swam away unharmed.

<social>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ4ZnYsivUI</social>

Scientists from the University of the Sunshine Coast say the observation could provide valuable insights into shark reproduction, potentially helping with artificial insemination and conservation programs aimed at restoring populations in regions such as Australia.

The findings were published in the Journal of Ethology, where researchers noted that shark threesomes in captivity had never been observed. What do you think about this? Of course, if you want to learn more details, you can do so through the following link. Go!

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