Which shark has the highest number of pups in a single litter?

The whale shark has the highest recorded number of pups in a single litter, with about 300 embryos documented in one female. In July 1996, researchers examined a pregnant whale shark caught near Taiwan and found embryos at several different developmental stages.

That discovery transformed scientists’ understanding of whale-shark reproduction. The species is ovoviviparous: eggs develop and hatch inside the mother, and she gives birth to live young. The embryos in the famous female were not all ready to be born at the same time, suggesting that she could retain sperm and release pups over an extended period rather than delivering the entire group in one event.

The record is often reported as 300 pups, although later accounts give a count of about 304 embryos. Strictly speaking, these were embryos found inside a pregnant female, not a litter directly observed being born. Nevertheless, the finding remains the largest recorded litter for any shark.

Newborn whale sharks are tiny compared with adults, generally around 40–60 centimetres long. The species itself can exceed 12 metres, making the contrast between enormous mothers and vulnerable young especially striking.