File Photo of giant shovelnose rays Photo: Official WeChat account of Hainan provincial officials

A total of 12 juvenile giant shovelnose rays (or giant guitarfish), a critically endangered species worldwide, have recently been successfully bred under artificial care in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province, marking a significant achievement in marine species conservation, according to a report by Hainan Province's official WeChat account, citing the People's Daily.

The giant shovelnose ray is a benthic cartilaginous fish species found in tropical and subtropical coastal waters and plays an important role in maintaining marine ecosystem balance. Listed as "Critically Endangered" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, its wild population has declined by more than 80 percent over the past 45 years due to habitat degradation, overfishing and accidental capture.

Captive breeding of the species is highly challenging. In Sanya, the conservation team uses a 13,500-ton aquarium tank, natural seawater and a 24-hour life-support system to recreate its marine environment. Since 2018, the team has conducted long-term scientific care with minimal disturbance to reduce stress on breeding adults.

After continuous monitoring, the team discovered in May that a female giant shovelnose ray was pregnant. The mother ray was carefully transferred to an isolated breeding pool shortly before giving birth, resulting in the successful birth of 12 healthy juveniles.

The young rays can swim normally and feed independently, and are now receiving individual monitoring. Experts said that fully documenting the growth process of giant shovelnose rays from juvenile to adult stages is extremely rare worldwide, adding that the success came from long-term scientific conservation following the species' natural habits.

Global Times