Ocean Park celebrates world’s first successful artificial insemination of cownose ray

Ocean Park Hong Kong brought forth a delightful female cownose ray (viviparous ray) into the world through the world’s first successful artificial insemination (AI) procedure this April. 

The adorable pup, named after the month she was born in, joins its cownose ray companion currently residing in the shark and ray pool, where public visitors can meet them. 

Cownose rays, endangered according to the IUCN Red List, primarily inhabit the Indo-West Pacific Ocean. The AI process began back in February 2022 in hope of reproducing the next generation of the species. 

Six months before the planned AI procedure, three adult female cownose rays living at Ocean Park were examined to ascertain their non-gravid status and were housed together in the absence of males. 

The semen from two adult male cownose rays was collected in February last year. It was diluted and preserved at a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius overnight. Inseminations were then performed by veterinarians supported by the animal husbandry team. 

On April 23, at a gestation period of 61 weeks and two days, the female ray successfully gave birth to a lively pup. The birth was later confirmed to be a result of the AI, and not from parthenogenesis. 

“From semen collection, insemination to post-insemination monitoring, the entire procedure is based on the foundation of the commitment of both veterinary and animal husbandry teams. 

“One of the highlighted steps of the project is the chilling and storage of the semen, which is a study-in-progress by scientists worldwide,” said Paolo Martelli, Ocean Park’s Director of Veterinary Services. 

Ocean Park said the breeding program for cownose rays holds immense significance, given the challenges to the oceans and the growing threats to aquatic biodiversity. 

Ocean Park is also mulling to extend the breeding programs to other elasmobranchs.

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