Ultrasound of stingray provides window into rare parthenogenetic pregnancy
A mysterious “virgin” birth is about to happen at the Aquarium and Shark Lab in Henderson, N.C. Charlotte, a female California Stingray, became noticeably pregnant in February despite being in a tank without a male counterpart.
In rare cases, stingrays are capable of asexual reproduction, also known as parthenogenesis. However, this is the first time the phenomenon has been recorded to happen with a captive stingray.
To get a better understanding of the process and ensure the pregnancy is normal, the aquarium staff performed an ultrasound on Charlotte. Despite being two weeks past her due date, the sonogram results were normal, and Charlotte is set to give birth to a single healthy pup.
A video with the ultrasound images was posted on the Aquarium and Shark Lab’s Instagram.
In the post, the aquarium said it’s ready for the arrival of the stingray pup, which they expect to happen at any moment.
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