That all hinges on what you consider to be cute. Depending on the species, a newborn shark can be anything from an adorable, hand-sized tiddler, like the small-spotted catsharks that hatch from ‘mermaid’s purse’ egg cases, or they can emerge directly from their mothers, with bodies as long as your outstretched arms. This is the case with sand tiger sharks, and how these baby sharks get so big is rather shocking.
Sand tigers are one of many species of sharks in which fertilised eggs hatch inside the female, then develop in her uterus. It’s quite common for unborn shark embryos to feed on unfertilised eggs, which happens in more than a dozen species. Sand tiger shark embryos go further – ultrasound scans of a pregnant sand tiger shark detected embryos swimming between the two prongs of her uterus, presumably hunting for more baby sharks to eat.
After a year-long gestation, a female sand tiger gives birth to one or two enormous pups, the winners of a prolonged intrauterine battle. Being so big at birth means they’re safe from a lot of predators, but, sadly, makes them vulnerable to getting caught in fishing nets. Sand tiger sharks are critically endangered of going extinct.