A new celebrity has come into the light recently on social media, Charlotte, a pregnant stingray prosiding in The Aquarium and Shark Lab in North Carolina. Charlotte is a round stingray and is between 12-16 years of age. In the beginning of March 2024, the aquarium shared on social media that Charlotte the stingray is shockingly pregnant with four pups, even though she lives in a rank of all female stingrays.
So who is the father? Well, there could be an answer. Not only does Charlotte share a tank with all female stingrays, she also is in company of male sharks. According to CBS, the team ECCO at the Aquarium and Shark Lab found shark bites on Charlotte’s body, which could signal that she mated with a shark. Brenda Ramer, founder and executive director of Team ECCO, explained about these shark bite findings in a CBS article.
“We didn’t think anything about it until one day we were kind of like, ‘Oh my gosh. Sharks bite when they mate,'” Ramer said. “…There is a potential she mated with one of these young male sharks.”
These comments about a potential shark-ray mutant went viral quickly getting many views and comments from people online. However, as interesting a theory it may be, experts say that it is not possible that Charlotte was impregnated by a shark. Kady Lyons, a research scientist at the Georgia Aquarium, told the Associated Press that due to their difference in DNA and size, it would be impossible for a shark to have mated with Charlotte.
An alternative source for Charlotte’s pregnancy is a rare phenomenon known as parthenogenesis. This process includes small cells that separate from the mothers eggs, then merge with the egg to create offspring. According to National Geographic, this process creates offspring that are “similar to the mother but not exact clones.” Ramer believes that this is the most possible theory for how Charlotte the stingray got pregnant.
“…. and parthenogenesis literally translates into virgin birth or miracle birth,” Ramer told the Associated Press. “… It is very rare to happen.”
Charlotte has not yet given birth to her pups, so it’s a waiting game for Team ECCO and everyone on social media to see what these offspring look like. Whether it’s a shark-ray mutant or biblical babies, it is sure to be the most interesting and unique birth of the year.
