Blacktip reef shark vs Bluntnose sixgill: Size, Weight & Bite Force

QUICK VERDICT

Bluntnose sixgill is about 2.7× longer by these reference values.

Bluntnose sixgill uses a 4.8 m upper reference, compared with 1.8 m for Blacktip reef shark. Bluntnose sixgill's weight reference is about 25× heavier.

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS

ABlacktip reef sharkrecorded to 1.8 m / 5.9 ft

BBluntnose sixgillreported to 4.8 m / 15.8 ft

REFAdult human1.8 m · about 80 kg

Length bars use upper comparison values and do not show body depth, tail proportion or typical adult size. A long thresher tail, for example, does not equal whale-shark body mass.

THE NUMBERS

Side by side.

MeasureBlacktip reef sharkBluntnose sixgill

Length referencerecorded to 1.8 m / 5.9 ftreported to 4.8 m / 15.8 ft

Weight referencelarge-adult reference about 24 kg / 53 lbpublished to 590 kg / 1,300 lb

Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown

HabitatShallow Indo-Pacific reefsDeep temperate and tropical waters

DietFishes, cephalopods and crustaceansFishes, rays, seals and carrion

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Blacktip reef shark is represented by recorded to 1.8 m / 5.9 ft; Bluntnose sixgill by reported to 4.8 m / 15.8 ft. Most individuals are under 1.6 m. Deepwater sampling is difficult, so upper records are sparse.

Bite evidence

Blacktip reef shark: No standardized maximum is used. Bluntnose sixgill: No standardized maximum is available.

Living versus extinct

Both species are living, but record-sized individuals are rare. These upper references should not be read as normal adult size.

Ecology changes the matchup

It is far smaller than the offshore giants people often picture. Its six gill slits mark an ancient branch of shark diversity.

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Blacktip reef sharkFlorida Museum ↗Bluntnose sixgillFlorida Museum ↗How we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →