World’s first shark embryo incubated in artificial uterine fluid until birth is on display at Churaumi Aquarium
The artificial uterus device used in the study (courtesy of the Okinawa Churashima Foundation).
March 19, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Kotaro Nagamine
The Okinawa Churashima Foundation announced on March 8 that it succeeded in incubating embryos of the deep-water dwelling slendertail lantern shark (Etmopterus molleri) to birth in artificial uterine fluid, which mimics the body fluid of a shark. The feat is the first of its kind in the world.
The foundation has been developing an artificial uterus device for raising shark embryos outside the female body since 2017. In October 2020, a dead slendertail lantern shark carrying two live embryos was donated to the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. The embryos were placed in the device and successfully incubated for approximately five months. During this period the external yolks characteristic of an embryo, fully retracted and the embryos grew to birth size, about 1.5 times their initial length.
The artificial uterine fluid was developed to reduce environmental stress on the fetus. It co
An embryo of the deep-water dwelling slendertail lantern shark on day 2 (top) and day 116 of incubation inside the artificial uterus device (bottom); The outer yolk is mostly retracted (courtesy of the Okinawa Churashima Foundation).
ntains a high concentration of urea and was adjusted to the same osmotic pressure and salt concentration levels as the fetus’ body fluid.
Taketeru Tomita, a researcher at the Churashima Research Center, recalled, “There was no precedent study, so we started from scratch.” According to Tomita, even the artificial uterus device was handmade. His aspires to “apply this study to the artificial breeding of sharks in danger of extinction.”
A paper summarizing the results of the study was published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Marine Science on March 2. The shark embryos incubated in the artificial uterus are on display in the shark section (same hakase no heya) at the Churaumi Aquarium.
(English translation by T&CT and Monica Shingaki)
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