Hendersonville, N.C. — A stingray named Charlotte has become the center of attention at a North Carolina aquarium after it was discovered that she is pregnant despite the absence of a male ray.
The round stingray, who resides in a tank at the Aquarium and Shark Lab in Hendersonville, was found covered in shark bites, indicating potential shark mating, reported CBS News. The discovery has left caretakers puzzled as they try to determine the father of Charlotte’s babies.
During a live video on Facebook , Brenda Ramer, founder and executive director of Team ECCO, explained the situation. Ramer stated that there hasn’t been a male ray in Charlotte’s tank for at least eight years. However, Charlotte has been sharing the tank with two young male sharks since July, and caretakers noticed the shark bite marks on her after a while.
Ramer offered two possible explanations for the mysterious pregnancy. The first, which garnered viral attention, suggests that Charlotte may have mated with one of the young male sharks. However, experts dismiss this possibility, citing anatomical and genetic differences between sharks and rays that make interbreeding unlikely.