Bay, Elkhorn Slough, Morro Bay, Santa Monica Bay (Los Angeles), Catalina Harbor (Santa Catalina Island), and San Diego Bay. Females give birth to 1–37 young annually from March and July (most in April or May), with the number of pups increasing with female size. Multiple males may father a litter from a single mother In Humboldt and San Francisco Bays, females drop their pups in beds of eelgrass that provide both shelter and food. In Catalina Harbor, females give birth on flats in of water, their backs and dorsal fins exposed; the pups stay in even shallower water less than deep. Mating occurs in early summer following birth; the only known observation of this in the wild was in 2004 off La Jolla, amongst nine sharks gathered from shore in water deep. Newborn leopard sharks measure around long. Relatively slow-growing after the first 3–4 years of life, male leopard sharks grow an average of per year, reaching maturity at an age of 7–13 years and a length of , while females grow an average of per year, reaching maturity at an age of 10–15 years and a length of . Individuals of the same age can vary significantly in size and large sharks are especially slow-growing: one specimen was documented to have gained only in length over 12 years. The maximum lifespan of this species is estimated to be 30 years. Human interactions Wary and quick to flee, leopard sharks pose almost no danger to humans. There is a single record from 1955 of a leopard shark harassing a skin diver with a nosebleed, though no injuries resulted. This species is caught by commercial fisheries using gillnets and longlines, and by recreational anglers and spearfishers; it is also caught as bycatch in bottom trawls. The meat is considered excellent eating and is sold fresh or frozen. However, leopard sharks living alongside human development may accumulate pollutants such as mercury, pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) within their bodies, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife warns against eating them regularly. The leopard shark is prized by the aquarium trade for its attractive appearance and hardiness; this led to many newborn pups being captured with hook-and-line off southern California in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It may live for over 20 years in captivity. Most of the fishing for leopard sharks occurs in the waters off California, where commercial landings