Q&A: You've heard the annoyingly catchy song—but did you know these incredible facts about baby sharks?

"Baby shark doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo, baby shark doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo …" If you're the parent of a young child, you're probably painfully familiar with this infectious song, which now has more than 13 billion views on ...
The Baby Shark song, released in 2016, has got hordes of us singing along, but how much do you really know about baby sharks? Do you know how a baby shark is born, or how it survives to become an apex predator?

I study coastal marine ecology. I believe baby sharks are truly fascinating, and I hope greater about these creatures will help protect them in the wild.

So sink your teeth into this Q&A on the weird and wonderful world of baby sharks.

How are baby sharks conceived and born?
To the , shark courtship practices may seem barbaric. Males typically attract the attention of a female by biting her. If successful, this is generally followed by even toothier bites to hold on during copulation. Females can carry the scars of these encounters long after the mating season is over.

Credit: Shutterstock
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An embryonic bamboo shark in its egg. The egg cases often wash up on beaches after the baby has hatched. Credit: Ryan Kempster/UWA
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Baby sharks are often born in ‘nurseries’ - shallow coastal waters where food is plentiful and ocean predators are less likely. Credit: Shutterstock
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