Vanda, a parthenogenetically born zebra shark, feeds in a display tank at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore on Aug. 4, 2021. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)
SINGAPORE, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Take a closer look at the "miracle" zebra sharks at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore.
Known as a "miracle baby," Vanda is believed to have hatched from a single parent. Aquarists believed that Vanda was hatched asexually in the absence of a male, through a natural process called parthenogenesis which is considered to be extremely rare.
Parthenogenesis is a form of reproduction in which an egg can develop into an embryo without being fertilized by a sperm.
Vanda, a parthenogenetically born zebra shark, feeds in a display tank at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore on Aug. 4, 2021. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)
Hope, a parthenogenetically born baby zebra shark, undergoes target feeding training at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore on Aug. 4, 2021. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)
Hope, a parthenogenetically born baby zebra shark, undergoes target feeding training at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore on Aug. 4, 2021. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)
Hope, a parthenogenetically born baby zebra shark, undergoes target feeding training at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore on Aug. 4, 2021. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)■