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In contrast, adelphophagy is the cannibalism of a multi-celled embryo. [1] Oophagy is thought to occur in all sharks in the order Lamniformes and has been recorded in the bigeye thresher (Alopias superciliosus), the pelagic thresher (A. pelagicus), the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) and the porbeagle (Lamna nasus) among others. [1]
This phenomenon of embryonic cannibalism may play a role in sexual selection, as males compete post-fertilization for paternity. [16] Thus, intrauterine cannibalism in sharks may reflect not only sibling rivalry, but also male competition for successful mating with females, which is an example of sexual selection.
The largest and strongest embryos consume their siblings in the womb (intrauterine cannibalism) before each surviving pup is born. [6] It has one of the lowest reproduction rates of all sharks and is susceptible to even minimal population pressure , so it is listed as vulnerable and is protected in much of its range.
An unusual mode of vivipary is adelphophagy or intrauterine cannibalism, in which the largest embryos eat weaker, smaller unborn siblings. This is most commonly found among sharks such as the grey nurse shark, but has also been reported for Nomorhamphus ebrardtii. [12]
Filial cannibalism occurs when an adult individual of a species consumes all or part of the young of its own species or immediate offspring. Filial cannibalism occurs in many species ranging from mammals to insects , and is especially prevalent in various types of fish species with males that engage in egg guardianship. [ 1 ]
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Siblicide can also be seen in humans in the form of twins in the mother's womb. One twin may grow to be an average weight, while the other is underweight. This is a result of one twin taking more nutrients from the mother than the other twin. In cases of identical twins, they may even have twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). [15]
The sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus), grey/gray nurse shark, spotted ragged-tooth shark, or blue-nurse sand tiger, is a species of shark that inhabits subtropical and temperate waters worldwide. It inhabits the continental shelf , from sandy shorelines (hence the name sand tiger shark) and submerged reefs to a depth of around 191 m (627 ft ...