HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. – A North Carolina aquarium that said it had a pregnant stingray with no male companion announced that the fish died.
The aquarium in the Blue Ridge Mountains had announced Charlotte’s pregnancy in February, stating that she hadn’t shared a tank with a male of her species in at least eight years. The aquarium said at the time that she was pregnant with as many as four pups and could give birth within two weeks.
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The pregnancy was thought to be the result of a type of asexual reproduction called parthenogenesis, in which offspring develop from unfertilized eggs, meaning there is no genetic contribution by a male. The mostly rare phenomenon can occur in some insects, fish, amphibians, birds and reptiles, but not in mammals. Documented examples have included California condors, Komodo dragons and yellow-bellied water snakes.
In May, The Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO announced that Charlotte had a rare reproductive disease. Several days later, the staff said that the ray was no longer pregnant due to that disease.
On Sunday, the aquarium staff said in a post on Facebook that Charlotte died after receiving treatment from her medical care team and specialist.
The aquarium’s website indicates that the facility is now closed to the public and summer camps are postponed.
**Editor’s Note: The Associated Press contributed to this report