Well I got this off a very respected site that is highly looked at as the main source for info in the industry. I know some give live birth, but I tlooks much like the above. And for him I hope i'm right because the other options would be HUGE and in my prior post I think he should still bring it back as he has no CLUE what he got. And that is no way to buy fish. If you may give some research to why you think other wise we may be able to come to a final anwser as to what in the world this is. I have sent off a pic to my buddy at sea world SD and he said the reproduction form is Ovoviviparity. And from what he said I now have no clue.
From : SeaWorld San Diego <eaWorld@swc.com>
Reply-To :
twaWorld@swc.com
Sent : Friday, February 23, 2007 6:00 PM
John, that I cannot be sure of what may lie in side of that egg case. But I can tell you that most of the rays from the Urolophidae and Dasytidae give birth thought a method called Ovoviviparous. It is not uncommon for the egg to discharge prior to birth. However, in this particular ray you are looking at the Bluespotted sting ray often gives live birth. It would be unlikely that it is an egg from this family, But I have seen stranger things is the Fish shops around town. I would like to know what is in the egg as you have me quite curious. How was your dive with the Scripps team last week? Talk to you soon
Ted
Ovoviviparous animals develop within eggs that remain within the mother's body up until they hatch or are about to hatch. This strategy of birth is known as ovoviviparity. It is similar to vivipary in that the embryo develops within the mother's body. Unlike the embryos of viviparous species, ovoviviparous embryos are nourished by the egg yolk rather than by the mother's body. However, the mother's body also provides for gas exchange.
Ovoviviparity is employed by many fish (including some sharks), reptiles, and invertebrates. The young of ovoviviparous amphibians are sometimes born as larvae, and undergo metamorphosis outside the body of the mother