DIVE LOG Australasia

A very pregnant Bracheolurus waddi shark at Port Stephens

Female cloacas therefore must have some kind of adaptation to the sandpapery claspers of the males. Does the internal lining of the cloaca have sandpapery lining? Or is it smooth? Just how does sandpaper on sandpaper work in the act of sexual intercourse in sharks? It’s a fine line between pleasure and pain. You could say that there’s a fraction too much friction. Male sharks bite the female for foreplay and also to maintain a strong hold during sexual intercourse. It does look brutal. It would be prudent for us to not impose our

own simplistic judgements onto shark behaviour. Sharks have had well over 300 million years to sort out what they do in the great game of producing the next generation. By the way, male Manta Rays have a similar mating behaviour. Males have much better developed teeth than females as they are essential for mating. The fact is that we need to learn a lot more to understand the why’s and wherefore’s of shark mating. Female sharks are often much larger than males.

The mating season, early to mid-winter, coincides for PJ’s and Wobbegongs.

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DIVE LOG Australasia #408 - October ‘24

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