‘Virgin’ Stingray Undergoes Another Body Change During Pregnancy

The “virgin birth” sounds like a thing of myths and legends, but a stingray in the USA has fascinated the world after it was found that the fish had gotten pregnant without coming in contact with any male stingray. In February, marine experts at the Aquarium and Shark Lab run by Team Ecco in North Carolina, USA, noticed an unusual growth on a stingray named Charlotte. To examine this growth, the experts conducted an ultrasound test on the fish and discovered that the “growths” were eggs and Charlotte was pregnant. This came as a shock to many as Charlotte did not come in contact with any male stingrays. Therefore her pregnancy was asexual in nature.

Soon the news of Charlotte’s “virgin pregnancy” stirred an interest in parthenogenesis, which is natural form of asexual reproduction where an embryo develops from an unfertilized egg. This phenomenon is not uncommon in a number of species like zebra sharks, California condors and Komodo dragons. Nonetheless the news of Charlotte’s “virgin pregnancy” caused a stir amongst the general public, prompting the aquarium to give frequent updates about Charlotte’s health. So far Charlotte has not given birth. Generally, stingrays give birth within three months.

On April 13, the Aquarium and Shark Lab announced that the stingray is re-growing her tail barb. In a video, Team Ecco mentioned that stingrays often drop the tail barbs. The video narrator said, “Charlotte has lived with us for eight years. During this period, she has dropped her barb several times. Each time, she has regrown a new one. The latest barb drop was February 28th, 2024. Charlotte is currently in the process of regrowing a new barb, which we see as a sign of health and thriving in her environment.”

Previously on April 10, the aquarium said that in an update, “Charlotte is continuing on her journey with Parthenogenesis! She continues to be healthy and has a great appetite! She also initiates interactions with the divers and guests as seen in this video with diver Jacob!”

On March 10, the aquarium revealed that Charlotte is the first California round stingray in captivity who has shown parthenogenetic pregnancy therefore they do not know how long she will take to give birth.

Her latest ultrasound confirmed that she is carrying at least one egg. The aquarium added that after the birth, her offspring will be carefully monitored and studied in a special nursery tank. The data will be shared with the marine biologists and scientists around the world.