Galapagos sharks are viviparous, or livebearing, with embryos nourished by a yolksac-placenta during gestation. Mating and birth occurs early in the year within Hawaiian waters. Female individuals often have mating scars from males biting the gills, fins, and body. Each litter contains 6 to 16 pups, each being 60-80 cm long. The pups stay in shallow waters to avoid predation and cannibalism from members of their own species, eventually moving out to deeper waters as they mature. Galapagos sharks do not reproduce until the age of 10 years, with the maximum known lifespan for a Galapagos shark being approximately 24 years. 