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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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