A pregnant stingray with no male companion now has a ‘reproductive disease,’ aquarium says

Associated Press

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina aquarium that said it had a pregnant stingray pinch nary antheral companion now says nan food has a uncommon reproductive disease.

Thursday’s connection from nan Aquarium and Shark Lab successful Hendersonville did not opportunity what illness nan stingray, Charlotte, has aliases remark connected nan position of her pregnancy. The aquarium did not instantly respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking much information.

RELATED | Charlotte, a stingray pinch nary antheral companion, is pregnant successful her upland aquarium

“Charlotte has developed a uncommon reproductive illness that has negatively impacted her reproductive system,” nan aquarium said. “The findings are genuinely a sad and unexpected aesculapian development. Our privilege is to attraction connected Charlotte’s wellness and well-being.”

The aquarium successful nan Blue Ridge Mountains had announced Charlotte’s gestation successful February, stating that she hadn’t shared a vessel pinch a antheral of her type successful astatine slightest 8 years. The aquarium said astatine nan clip that she was pregnant pinch arsenic galore arsenic 4 pups and could springiness commencement wrong 2 weeks.

The gestation was thought to beryllium nan consequence of a type of asexual reproduction called parthenogenesis, successful which offspring create from unfertilized eggs, meaning location is nary familial publication by a male. The mostly uncommon arena tin hap successful immoderate insects, fish, amphibians, birds and reptiles, but not successful mammals. Documented examples person included California condors, Komodo dragons and yellow-bellied h2o snakes.