Assessment of multiple paternity in spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna) litters from eastern Australian waters

Alicia K. Linn; Alexis L. Levengood; Christine L. Dudgeon; Johan A. Gustafson; Julia L. Smith; Bonnie J. Holmes

doi:10.1071/MF24222

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Previous Contents Vol 76(11)

Assessment of multiple paternity in spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna) litters from eastern Australian waters

Alicia K. Linn

^A ^* , Alexis L. Levengood ^A , Christine L. Dudgeon ^B , Johan A. Gustafson ^A ^C , Julia L. Smith

^D and Bonnie J. Holmes ^A

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A University of the Sunshine Coast, School of Science, Technology and Engineering, Sippy Downs, Sunshine Coast, Qld 4556, Australia.

^B University of the Sunshine Coast, School of Science, Technology and Engineering, Petrie, Moreton Bay, Qld 4502, Australia.

^C Shark Ecology Australia, Robina, Gold Coast, Qld 4226, Australia.

^D Griffith University, School of Environment and Science, Southport, Gold Coast, Qld 4215, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: alicia.k.linn@gmail.com

Handling Editor: Colin Simpfendorfer

Marine and Freshwater Research 76, MF24222 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF24222

Submitted: 9 October 2024 Accepted: 1 July 2025 Published: 16 July 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

The spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna) is a medium-sized, coastal species distributed across the warm waters of all ocean basins. Knowledge of this species’ reproductive biology is limited to general parameters such as reproductive mode and average litter sizes, and very little is known about their reproductive strategy.

Aims

Here, we provide an assessment of multiple paternity, using single nucleotide polymorphisms.

Methods

DNA was extracted from 2 gravid females and the 18 pups between their 2 litters captured off the Australian eastern coast. Sibship analyses were conducted to assess multiple paternity.

Key results

For the first time globally, multiple paternity was confirmed in this species in both litters examined.

Conclusions

This study confirms that C. brevipinna employs some degree of polyandry as part of its mating system.

Implications

This research contributes to the growing number of studies regarding multiple paternity in elasmobranchs and provides new information on the reproductive biology of this species.

Keywords: Carcharhinus brevipinna, elasmobranch, genetics, mating system, multiple sires, polyandry, reproductive biology, shark, single nucleotide polymorphisms, spinner shark.

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