The Internet Is Losing Its Mind Over The Shark Egg This Woman Found on the Beach

This incredible shark’s egg looks like no other egg you will have ever seen! It belongs to a horn shark and was discovered on a Californian beach. Apparently, this is not the first one to be found in this location. But it gets better – this is no empty egg case. When it is held up to the light, you can see the tiny shark embryo wiggling around inside. Click below to see the full footage of this very special find.

Watch the Fascinating Clip Below

What Do California Horn Sharks Look Like?

This may not look like a regular egg, but a California horn shark does not look like a regular shark! Their scientific name is Heterodontus francisci and they belong to the Heterodontidae family of sharks. These guys look nothing like their sleek, torpedo-shaped cousins that speed through the open ocean. Horn sharks hide out in the shadow of rocks on the seafloor. In fact, they are not that great at swimming and sometimes even use their strong pectoral fins to crawl along rocks instead.

In terms of size, they grow to between 27.5 and 47 inches and weigh around 20 pounds. They can be a range of colors including brown, gray, yellow, and black. A distinctive feature is the protective spines or horns on its skin. They also have a blunt head, a curved snout, and a long mouth.

Do All Sharks Lay Eggs?

No, not at all. In fact, out of the 500 or so species of shark on the planet only a few lay eggs. Most gave birth to live young.

Sharks that lay eggs are called oviparous. Shark egg cases are often washed up on the shores of beaches all over the world. They do not look anything like the bird’s eggs that we are used to. Often people don’t realize that they are sharks’ eggs at all. This species of shark inhabits the coastal areas around California so it is likely that a few eggs will wind up on Californian beaches each year.

How Do Horn Sharks Reproduce?

Horn sharks mate in December and January. A few weeks after mating, the female deposits her fertilized eggs amongst rocks. She tries to wedge them into crevices so that they will be protected from the currents. Between six and nine months later the young sharks hatch. Each egg contains a single embryo. We get a good view of this little shark and we hope it hatches successfully later in the year!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © HollyHarry/Shutterstock.com