Reproduction
Lemon sharks are viviparous, females giving birth to between four and 17 young every other year in warm and shallow lagoons. The young have to fend for themselves from birth, and remain in shallow water near mangroves until they grow larger. With increasing size, they venture further away from their birthplaces. At maturity, at a size of 1.5–2 m and an age of 12–15 years, they leave shallow water and move into deeper waters offshore. However, little is known of this life stage.
Recent work in genetics by Kevin Feldheim and Samuel Gruber may suggest adult sharks travel hundreds of kilometers to mate. Another possibility is that populations far apart may have been separated in recent times. Further research is needed for an understanding of the lemon shark's breeding behavior and ecology.
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