Iris SeatonAsheville Citizen Times
Another unhappy update on Charlotte the stingray will be posted this morning, June 5, in which Charlotte was confirmed to no longer be pregnant after coming down with a reproductive disease. Hendersonville Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO is currently closed in the wake of this announcement.
The California round stingray made national news earlier this year when it was revealed by Team ECCO staff that she was pregnant with no male stingray in the tank for the past eight years. Staff determined Charlotte became pregnant through a process called parthenogenesis, which is an asexual reproduction where a female can produce an embryo without fertilizing an egg with sperm.
Brenda Ramer, owner of the aquarium, told the Asheville Citizen Times that her team will learn more about what their next steps are during the closure.
"When we close, that's when we'll be able to sit down and do an actual consultation and set a plan of action in place for her treatment," Ramer said.
Is Charlotte the stingray still pregnant?
Ramer said that experts first confirmed Charlotte's pregnancy in January. She was also able to confirm that blood and fluid testing as well as ultrasounds showed that Charlotte is no longer pregnant, as of early June.
While she was able to offer this information, there are still many unknowns. Charlotte's exact symptoms and prognosis, as well as the labs Team ECCO is working with in their efforts to understand the disease, are not yet being shared with the public by the aquarium.
According to the aquarium's statement, Charlotte is stable, with no decrease in appetite or activity. The statement also said that experts are in the process of reviewing additional ultrasounds and testing in order to collaborate on a medical care plan.
Team ECCO statement on Charlotte the stingray
Here is the statement Team ECCO put out June 5:
Thank you for your continued support and concern for Charlotte after the unfortunate medical updates last week. Medical Experts have confirmed that Charlotte is no longer pregnant due, to her reproductive disease. The medical team preformed their bi-weekly in person assessment last night at the aquarium and reported that Charlotte is stable and continues to show no decrease in appetite or activity. Charlotte continues to be in her normal routine and content. The Medical Experts are reviewing additional ultrasounds and testing that have been collected and sent out for recommendations for treatment options and we will collaborate on a medical care plan for Charlotte based on the entire medical file, and options available to her.
What reproductive disease does Charlotte the stingray have?
A May 30 update provided by Team ECCO originally stated that Charlotte had developed "a rare reproductive disease that has negatively impacted her reproductive system."
A second post on May 31 stated that staff were actively searching for more information, but added that studies on the disease had been conducted only on southern rays; The ECCO team said they had not yet found any studies on round stingrays, Charlotte's species.
Ramer was unable to provide any additional updates, but assured the public that the aquarium has been working with several researchers and labs in an effort to understand Charlotte's condition before providing more information to the public.
Is the Hendersonville Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team Ecco open?
The aquarium is currently closed. While there is no specific timeline set on reopening, Team ECCO's statement promised that updates would be posted as soon as they were available.
"After consulting with the Medical team, the most cautious course of action is to remain closed to ensure the safety and medical care of Charlotte and all our animals at Team ECCO Aquarium," the statement said.
Ramer hopes to be able to provide additional updates soon. In the meantime, she expressed her appreciation for the support Charlotte and the aquarium as a whole have received amidst the uncertainty and unpleasant news.
"We certainly do appreciate the love, the kindness and support for Charlotte and for her care team that is keeping us bolstered as we navigate this," Ramer said.
How did Charlotte the stingray become pregnant?
"Parthenogenetic pregnancy" is the development of a sex cell without fertilization. Parthenogenesis can occur in lower plants such as mosses and lichens, invertebrate animals like wasps and ants and, more rarely, vertebrate animals such as Charlotte. Kinsley Boyette, a member of Team ECCO, previously told Blueridgenow that a parthenogenic embryo was "basically a clone of the mother."
While Charlotte's case was unique, she isn't the first vertebrate animal to undergo parthenogenetic pregnancy in captivity. Thelma, a reticulated python at Louisville Zoo in Kentucky, gave birth to six female offspring in 2014, according to National Geographic. At the Chester Zoo in the UK between 2005-2006, Komodo dragons Sungai and Flora laid 22 and 25 eggs, respectively, without fertilization, the Guardian reported.
When did Charlotte become pregnant?
ECCO staff reported they first saw signs of Charlotte's pregnancy in September 2023, and her pregnancy was confirmed in January 2024.
The Team ECCO staff first noticed a bump on Charlotte in September and performed an ultrasound, worried that it could be a cyst. They sent the results to a contact at a leading aquarium in Australia and a contact from the science department at Arizona State University. Ramer said both contacts came to the same conclusion: Charlotte was expecting.
More: 5 venomous snakes in NC, Asheville: What to know about rattlesnakes, copperheads, more
How long is a stingray pregnant?
The average gestation period for stingrays is three to four months according to previous reporting from Blueridgenow, but Team ECCO has reminded fans that there is no known data for parthenogenetic pregnancies.
"Charlotte's pregnancy is a unique situation," a Team ECCO employee explained in a recent post. "There is no set precedent on how long a parthenogenetic pregnancy is in this species. Charlotte is the first known documented California round stingray to do parthenogenesis in captivity."
More: Still no 'miracle' birth? What to know about Charlotte the pregnant stingray
What kind of stingray is Charlotte the stingray?
Charlotte is a round stingray, found in the wild in the Eastern Pacific, from Humboldt Bay in northern California south to the Gulf of California and Panama City, Panama, according to theAquarium of the Pacificin Long Beach, California.
Where do stingrays live?
Round stingrays live in the Eastern Pacific, from Humboldt Bay in northern California south to the Gulf of California and Panama City, Panama, according to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California. They prefer sandy or muddy bottoms, but are sometimes found in rocky reef areas. They most commonly inhabit water depths from intertidal to less than 50 feet in depth, but may also be found in water as deep as 300 feet.
What do round stingrays look like?
Round stingrays have smooth, nearly round bodies, with no dorsal fin. They have sturdy tails less than half the length of their bodies ending in a true caudal fin, unlike the thin, whip-like tails of other stingrays, the Aquarium of the Pacific says. Round stingrays vary in color from tan to brown to gray and from plain to spotted or mottled with varying pattern shades giving them a dappled appearance. The underside is a solid whitish or light yellow color.
How big are stingrays?
The largest round ray reported was 22.8 inches in length, according to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Maximum reported weight is around 3 pounds. Most round rays are much smaller than this, with a disc diameter of 10 inches or less.
What do stingrays eat?
Round stingray diets consist mainly of bottom dwelling invertebrates such as worms, shrimp, amphipods, clams and other small mollusks, and small fishes. They have also been observed in the upper water column preying on small fishes, the Aquarium of the Pacific says.
Do stingrays attack people?
Round stingrays are good swimmers, moving by undulating the edges of their oversized pectoral fins and capable of substantial bursts of speed, according to the Aquarium of the Pacific. For camouflage, they cover themselves with mud or sand, leaving only the eyes and spiracles exposed.
They are not aggressive, but prefer safe distance from humans. Females generally stay in the deeper portion of their habitat, moving into the shallow water areas only during breeding season.
How long do stingrays live?
The Aquarium of the Pacific says a stingray's lifespan is estimated to be about 14 years.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
