Pregnant sharks and rays likely to abort their young if captured
by Calla Wahlquist from Environment | The Guardian on (#36RW3)
New research has found a quarter of pregnant sharks and rays lose their pups when caught, threatening some species
Australian researchers have found a quarter of pregnant sharks and rays abort their pups when captured, revealing a little-known risk to the survival of the slow-growing animals.
An analysis of recorded instances of sharks and rays either aborting their pups or undergoing a premature birth once captured found 24% of pregnant females across 88 species lost their young. In some species, such as the pelagic stingray, the rate of abortion on capture was 85%.
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