Overview

• A UniSC researcher recorded two male leopard sharks mating sequentially with a female in the wild, lasting 110 seconds in total with bouts of 63 and 47 seconds.
• About 90 minutes of pre-copulation positioning involved males grasping the female’s fins, after which the males lay immobile while the female, showing fin wounds, swam away.
• The event was filmed during year-long weekly snorkel surveys at Abore Reef about 15 kilometers off Nouméa as part of monitoring linked to the ReShark collective.
• The study, published in the Journal of Ethology, reports a structured sequence consistent with captive observations, including siphon sac display and clasper use.
• Researchers say the endangered species status heightens the value of the site for targeted genetic sampling, habitat protection measures, and development of artificial insemination and rewilding efforts.