Weird NewsFILE - Charlotte, a round stingray, in an undated photo at the Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO in Hendersonville, N.C. The North Carolina aquarium that said it had a pregnant stingray with no male companion this winter now says the fish has died after suffering from a rare reproductive disease. The Aquarium and Shark Lab posted a statement on Facebook late Sunday, June 30, 2024 that said Charlotte had passed away.
The aquarium in the Blue Ridge Mountains had announced Charlotte’s pregnancy in February, stating that she hadn’t shared a tank with a male of her species in at least eight years. The aquarium said at the time that she was pregnant with as many as four pups and could give birth within two weeks.The pregnancy was thought to be the result of a type of asexual reproduction called parthenogenesis, in which offspring develop from unfertilized eggs, meaning there is no genetic contribution by a male.
In May, The Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO announced that Charlotte had a rare reproductive disease. Several days later, the staff said that the ray was no longer pregnant due to that disease.The aquarium’s website indicates that the facility is now closed to the public and summer camps are postponed.Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.