HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — A stingray at a North Carolina lab recently caught attention for becoming pregnant in a tank with no other stingrays. However, the aquarium she lives in just announced she is no longer pregnant after facing a disease impacting her reproductive system.
Team ECCO's Aquarium and Shark Lab in Hendersonville shared the news about Charlotte the stingray in a Facebook post on Wednesday. The lab said Charlotte is stable and hasn't lost her appetite or slowed down activity.
The lab said medical experts are now reviewing ultrasounds and testing. Team members are also consulting for recommendations and treatment options for Charlotte.
In the meantime, Team ECCO will remain closed temporarily to ensure Charlotte's safety and medical care are focused. This is also being done to ensure proper care of all of the animals at the aquarium. The team has promised updates.
In late May, the aquarium said Charlotte "developed a rare reproductive disease that has negatively impacted her reproductive system." The team said it was working with veterinarians and specialists to discuss treatment for her and see how it could help other stingrays in the future.
Charlotte's pregnancy caught Team ECCO by surprise in February after it was discovered. The tank Charlotte is in has no other male stingrays, but she turned up pregnant with up to four pups. At the time, the aquarium theorized Charlotte reproduced via parthenogenesis, which is when a female stingray develops and egg in which the cells inside it split to create a clone of the mother.
Parthenogenesis has been observed in one of Team ECCO's sharks a few times, but it doesn't happen often with stingrays in captivity.
Another possibility that was theorized was that Charlotte mated with a shark in her tank; the aquarium noted she had bite marks. However, WCNC Charlotte was able to VERIFY that it's unlikely that happened.