Twelve giant shovelnose ray pups, a critically endangered species, have been successfully bred in captivity in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province.

Born on July 31, the pups are now about two weeks old and have begun feeding independently. All 12 are in good condition, with normal physiological development.

The giant shovelnose ray is an important benthic cartilaginous fish found in tropical and subtropical coastal waters of the Indian and western Pacific oceans. It plays an important role in maintaining marine ecosystem balance and is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List due to a sharp decline in wild populations.