Long term study finds lemon sharks go home to reproduce

Researchers say they have found the first direct evidence that female sharks return home to breed.

In the study, scientists tracked lemon sharks in the Bahamas for 17 years to prove the case.

Even though this species is highly migratory, pregnant females prefer to give birth where they themselves were born.

The researchers say it strengthens the argument for restrictions on fishing at specific sites.

The idea of females returning to their own place of birth to reproduce has been observed in a number of marine species most notably in salmon but it has also been seen in sea turtles.

In this new work, researchers looked at lemon sharks in their largest nursery area around the Bimini Islands in the Bahamas.

However since they are slow to mature, it required the scientists to undertake a long-term study to show that the females were returning home to give birth.

Between 1995 and 2012, the team deployed nets and tagged, measured and took genetic samples from every lemon shark they captured.

The researchers found that at least six females returned to give birth when they were between 14 and 17 years old.

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Source: www.bbc.co.uk/news