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A North Carolina aquarium is trying to solve the mystery of a solitary female stingray pregnancy that caused chaos.
The Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team Ecco is located in Hendersonville, 165 miles west of Charlotte. Staff there say the female stingray is planning to give birth, but there’s one problem. There are no male rays in this aquarium.
So how could a female stingray become pregnant without a male mate?
There are two possible explanations for the rare pregnancies.
Rare “virgin birth”:Brookfield Zoo’s second baby shark in the US to be asexually reproduced
Asexual reproduction is common in stingrays
Research has shown that animals, particularly stingrays, are capable of asexual reproduction when the reproductive capacity of the species is lacking.
“First, you should know that parthenogenesis is the asexual reproduction of organisms in which a woman produces an embryo without the presence of a man to fertilize the egg,” said N.C. Science Trail Executive Director, Dr. April Smith writes in a blog post. “This usually means that the offspring are all female, and this occurs in situations where males are not present (i.e. usually in zoos, aquariums, or secluded natural environments like the deep sea). This is a survival mechanism. For the preservation of the species.”
Female stingrays may have been impregnated by male sharks
“When our female stingray named Charlotte started to swell, we were concerned that she might have cancer,” the Hendersonville Aquarium told FOX Carolina.
Ultrasound tests were conducted to confirm or deny their suspicions. The results revealed that multiple growths inside her body were later found to be eggs.
The aquarium found bite marks on Charlotte, which are common marks left by mating sharks.
In July 2023, two young white sharks were transferred to Charlotte’s tank.
“We have conclusive video of the latest ultrasound showing two, if not three puppies,” Team Ecco told FOX Carolina. “Unless there are visual clues about mixed breeds, DNA testing should be done after the puppy’s birth.”
The aquarium has confirmed that Charlotte is due to give birth soon.
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