Assessment of multiple paternity in single litters from three species of carcharhinid sharks in Hawaii

Abstract

We tested for presence or absence of multiple paternity in single litters from each of three congeneric shark species in Hawaii: the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, bignose shark, Car- charhinus altimus, and Galapagos shark, Carcharhi- nus galapagensis. Based on eight polymorphic microsatellite loci, we excluded paternity by a single sire in sandbar and bignose sharks, but could not exclude a single sire for the litter from the Galapagos shark. This study doubles the number of shark species tested for multiple paternity, and is the first demon- stration of multiple paternity in sandbar and bignose sharks.