Biology

The kitefin shark is a powerful deep-sea predator, feeding on a wide variety of bony fishes, skates, other sharks, cephalopods, crustaceans and worms (2) (3) (4) (6). Fish are the most commonly taken prey (2) (3), although the diet may vary seasonally, as well as with age (3). The kitefin shark is believed to be mainly solitary (2) (3), and reproduction is ovoviviparous, meaning the eggs develop and hatch inside the body, the female then giving birth to live young (2) (3) (4). Litter size varies from 10 to 16 pups, with each pup measuring around 30 centimetres long at birth (2) (3) (6). Little is known about the growth, lifespan, or age at maturity of the kitefin shark (6) (7).