Ananova:

A Hungarian aquarium is celebrating after its lone female shark produced a pup without ever having come into contact with a male shark.

The mother, a White-tipped reef shark named Ibolya by staff, was born at the Nyiregyhaza Centre seven years ago.

Director Attila Varga said: "When I saw the baby shark lying on the bottom of the tank I thought it was a joke. I was amazed when I realised it was a real shark.

"The mother is very protective of her pup, but as soon as we can, marine biologists want to get a DNA sample from both.

"There has only ever been one other example of a virgin birth (parthenogenesis) at a zoo in America when a hammerhead shark had a pup that was killed by a stingray before keepers could remove it from its tank.

"It happened in 2000 but it was only last year that a study of the DNA was complete and indicated the pup was from a virgin birth.

"But our baby is not only the first time it's happened here in Europe, but it's the first time a pup born asexually is known to have survived."

But the new arrival, while boosting visitor numbers, has caused problems for the marina because its shark tank is not big enough for two - and the managers do not want to give up the baby.

Director Varga added: "We are planning to build her a bigger tank, find her a male and then hopefully next time round she can have a baby properly."