Like other houndsharks, the whiskery shark is viviparous; the developing embryos are sustained by yolk and probably also maternally produced histotroph. Males can mate every year, while females have a biennial reproductive cycle. Mating takes place in August and September; females store sperm until late January to early April of the following year, when the ova are ready to be ovulated into the uterus. After a 7– to 9-month-long gestation period, litters of four to 28 (average 19) pups are born between August and October. The litter size increases with the size of the female. The newborns measure long.