In a surprising twist at the Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO in North Carolina, staff members are bewildered by the possibility that their lone female stingray, Charlotte, may have been impregnated by a shark.
Initially, Charlotte was believed to have cancer when a lump on her back was noticed by keepers. However, a closer examination using ultrasound equipment revealed that the swelling was, in fact, a sack of eggs on the verge of hatching.
Since there were no male stingrays in Charlotte's tank, the perplexed staff began considering the possibility that she might have been impregnated by one of their whitespotted bamboo sharks. Another theory is a form of asexual reproduction, where fertilization by a male fish is not required. Nevertheless, the presence of small bite marks on Charlotte's fin edges leans towards the intriguing idea that she may have engaged in amorous activities with a shark companion.
A spokesperson for the aquarium shared, "In mid-July 2023, we moved two 1-year-old white spot bamboo males (sharks) into that tank. There was nothing we could find definitively about their maturation rate, so we did not think there would be an issue. We started to notice bite marks on Charlotte, but saw other fish nipping at her, so we moved fish, but the biting continued."
Ultrasound examinations on Charlotte have been ongoing since September, coinciding with the time she began to swell. Multiple internal "growths" were documented initially, leading the staff to suspect cancer. The unfolding mystery adds a fascinating chapter to the marine life at the North Carolina aquarium.