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Since 1980, six pregnant females have been verified, taken from
coastal waters off Okinawa and Japan; New Zealand and Tunisia.
Further recent reliable but unconfirmed reports originated during the same
period from Australia, Taiwan, and most recently Kenya.
Reported litter-sizes range 2-10 foetuses. Gestation time is unknown but likely to be long.
Size at birth is within a range of 120-150cm TL.
The reproductive mode is aplacental viviparity with embryos nourished by
oophagy (ingestion of unfertilised eggs).
Contrary to some popular publications, this species does not exhibit 'uterine cannibalism' such as found in the sandtiger shark, Carcharias taurus.
Conceivably, females may give birth every two years rather than annually.
Birth apparently occurs during the spring to late summer in warm-temperate
coastal waters.
Areas where mature adults and newborns occur together, indicative of reproduction, include the shelf waters of the N.E. United States, Southern California, Southern and Eastern Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa and the
Southern-Central Mediterranean Sea.
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