If you thought Fifty Shades of Grey got a bit rough, wait until you see fifty shades of grey reef shark. Along with rays, they have some of the most diverse reproduction methods of any animal group. Some lay eggs, some give live birth and some even manage the feat without a partner. For many other shark species, an offshore lifestyle means experts are still discovering the ins and outs no pun intended. While it looks extremely intense, the biting behaviour in this video is necessary to ensure the mating pair sticks together. Scientists have observed that female sharks tend to have thicker skin than males — and after watching the clip, it's easy to see why that might come in handy. Our best guess is that thick skin keeps the body cavity from being penetrated during, well, penetration. And why the two "penises"? Unlike a true penis, a shark's claspers aren't an independent appendage. They're actually extensions of the pelvic fins the paired fins located on the shark's underside.


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The great white shark Carcharodon carcharias , also known as the great white , white shark or "white pointer", is a species of large mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. The great white shark is notable for its size, with larger female individuals growing to 6. The great white shark has no known natural predators other than, on very rare occasions, the killer whale. It is also known to prey upon a variety of other marine animals, including fish , and seabirds. It is the only known surviving species of its genus Carcharodon , and is responsible for more recorded human bite incidents than any other shark. The species faces numerous ecological challenges which has resulted in international protection.
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Sharks are amazing creatures, and they are a vital part of the ocean's ecosystem. How do they have sex? Shark reproduction is of particular interest to marine biologists because despite the fact that they are ancient million years old and boneless fish, they actually birth live young. Most fish from that era are egg-laying or oviparous , as opposed to viviparous sharks. Sharks also have the reputation of being able to reproduce asexually. What actually's happening is that shark sperm can last outside the body for extremely long periods of time -- as long as 45 months in one study. Human sperm, by contrast, can only last for about five days maximum.
By Barbara Hoffman. Yes, those demons of the deep are dastardly in the sack! In honor of Shark Week, we sought the lowdown on their kinky, finny ways from George H.