A FEMALE stingray is pregnant – but the father’s identity remains a mystery.
Charlotte, who lives in a tank at a North Carolina aquarium, is carrying three to four pups in a “once-in-a-lifetime science mystery” because she reportedly hasn’t shared a tank with a male ray in at least eight years, according to the Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO.
One explanation behind the mystery is that Charlotte, who is believed to be around 12 to 14 years old, may have reproduced on her own, but other experts speculate that she could be carrying shark “hybrid” babies.
However, Kady Lyons, a research scientist at the Georgia Aquarium, told the Associated Press that a shark-ray hybrid isn’t biologically possible.
Throughout the differing theories, the stingray has grown quite a following as social media users are intrigued by the mystery pregnancy – and fans are now asking for constant updates from the aquarium’s Instagram page, even though the account posts daily reports.
“We need an update on Charlotte!” one fan demanded on a recent post as dozens of others asked about Charlotte’s wellbeing and due date in the comments section.
Charlotte is due to give birth any day now.
Read our stingray pregnancy blog for the latest updates on Charlotte…
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Fans want a live stream
In the comments section of the aquarium’s latest update on Charlotte, fans of the stingray are begging for a live stream to monitor the fish.
“Are you guys going to set up a live feed for the birth?? I’m so invested!” one Facebook user wrote.
“You have an entire generation that planned events around watching April the Giraffe… we need a live cam of Charlotte,” another weighed in.
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Yesterday’s menu revealed
On February 20, the Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO posted an update about Charlotte to Instagram.
The aquarium shared that Charlotte ate shrimp and silversides that day.
“No changes in behavior,,” the post’s caption said.
“Still waiting…”
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‘It is our gift’
Team Ecco founder Brenda Ramer reminded viewers that Charlotte’s unique experience is a “gift” to science-lovers.
“Charlotte is a special and lovely fish,” the February 11 post said.
“We are sharing her experience with you as a way to learn together. It is our gift. Please, do not disqualify our event.
“Just because something has not happened or has not been documented does not make it impossible,” Ramer continued.
“Science is discovery. And besides, none of us know what has happened in the big ocean because we are not always there.
“Team ECCO was founded to reach, to teach and to dream,” the message concluded.
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Team shared a message to fans
As Charlotte’s story reaches more fans everyday, the Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO posted a message to Facebook users.
“With all of the interest and chaos surrounding Charlotte, I am going to ask that you please do not use our platform for wonder and research to make a personal stand or comments to prove yourself and your knowledge to other readers,” Team Ecco founder Brenda Ramer wrote.
“We are a very unique site, with staff and volunteers who work hard to care for our Marine and reptile residents.
“We research and train and promote science education and adventure.”
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‘Girl hurry up’
Fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, are telling Charlotte the stingray to “hurry up” as she’s set to give birth soon.
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Today’s update shared
The Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO has posted today’s update with a video of Charlotte swimming around in her tank – and the team member revealed that the stingray has had lots of visitors lately.
“Everyone loved seeing Miss Charlotte,” the worker said, adding that she’s still eating normally.
Charlotte had shrimp, silversides, and some scallops to eat today.
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Fans want updates
While Charlotte is due to give birth any day now, she’s grown quite a following as social media users are intrigued by the mystery pregnancy.
Fans are now demanding updates on the aquarium’s Instagram page as the account hasn’t posted about the stingray since yesterday.
“We need an update on Charlotte!” one fan demanded on a recent post as dozens of others asked about Charlotte’s wellbeing and due date in the comments section.
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Process is incredibly rare
Charlotte’s pregnancy had been deemed “a once-in-a-lifetime science mystery,” by the aquarium.
The process is incredibly rare, but has also been seen in other kids of sharks and rays while in human care.
These “virgin births” are thought to be the key to protecting endangered species, and rowing them back from the edge of extinction.
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‘We don’t know why it happens’
Expert Kady Lyons told the Associated Press that Charlotte reproduced all on her own through a process called parthenogenesis.
“We don’t know why it happens,” Lyons said.
“Just that it’s kind of this really neat phenomenon that they seem to be able to do.”
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Expert says hybrids are ‘impossible’
Expert Kady Lyons, whose graduate work focused on the stingray species, has now said it would have been “impossible” for Charlotte the stingray to conceive the first scientifically documented stingray-shark hybrid.
This is due to the anatomical and size differences between Charlotte and the bamboo sharks.
Lyons, a research scientist at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, said Charlotte’s pregnancy is the only documented example she’s aware of for round stingrays.
“I’m not surprised, because nature finds a way of having this happen,” she said.
Lyons added: “We should set the record straight that there aren’t some shark-ray shenanigans happening here.”
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Speculation over ‘shark hybrid pups’
Another possible explanation for the pregnancy is that Charlotte mated with one of the young sharks, according to Brenda Ramer, executive director of Team Ecco.
“In mid-July 2023, we moved two one-year-old white spot bamboo males (sharks) into that tank,” Ramer told ABC 13 News.
“There was nothing we could find definitively about their maturation rate, so we did not think there would be an issue.
“We started to notice bite marks on Charlotte, but saw other fish nipping at her, so we moved fish, but the biting continued.”
Speaking about the stingray and her future babies, Ramer added: “We’re either going to have partho babies or we’re going to have some kind of a potential mixed breed, and we’re waiting for Jeff Goldblum to show up because we are Jurassic Park right now!”
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Parthenogenesis explained
One possible explanation for the mystery pregnancy is parthenogenesis – a process by which some animals can reproduce on their own.
The eggs are able to develop on their own without fertilization and create a clone of the mother.
“I reached out to Dr. Rob Jones, the aquarium vet, and he identified the growths as eggs,” staff member Ramer said.
“We have no male ray. He said there have been few cases of parthenogenesis in rays.”
Dr April Smith, director of the North Carolina Science Trail wrote in a blog post: “This means the offspring are, typically, all female, and this occurs in a situation where there are no males present (i.e., zoo/aquarium usually, or perhaps a secluded natural environment like the deep sea).
“It’s a survival mechanism that allows for the preservation of a species.”
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Ultrasound pictures revealed
Team Ecco staff at the Aquarium and Shark Lab shared Charlotte’s ultrasound pictures, which revealed that the stingray is carrying three or four pups.
Credit: Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO/Facebook -
Aquarium announced pregnancy two weeks ago
On February 6, the aquarium took to Facebook to announce Charlotte’s pregnancy.
“Our stingray, Charlotte, is expecting!” Team ECCO founder Brenda “B.J.” Ramer wrote in the post.
“We have held this close to our hearts for over 3 months. We have ultrasound images confirmed by two supporters: Dr. Robert Jones, the Aquarium Vet out of Australia, and Becka Campbell, PhD candidate at Arizona State Univ.
“The really amazing thing is we have no male ray!” the announcement continued, adding that there are a “couple of possible reasons for this event.”
“We hope you join us It is a once in a life time science mystery to take part in,” the post concluded.
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How Charlotte’s pregnancy was revealed
In September, Team Ecco staff at the Aquarium and Shark Lab in Hendersonville noticed that Charlotte was beginning to swell up and were worried she may have cancer.
Ultrasounds instead revealed that the stingray was actually pregnant with several pups.
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Pregnant stingray pictured
Charlotte, a round stingray believed to be around 12 to 16 years old, is expected to give birth any day now.
Credit: AFP -
Charlotte the stingray is expecting
The Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team Ecco was recently rocked by the discovery that its stringray Charlotte was pregnant in a tank with no males.
Charlotte, who lives in a tank at the aquarium in Hendersonville, North Carolina, is carrying three to four pups.