SHARK VS SHARK

Bull sharkvsGoblin shark

Length, weight and bite evidence—plus context from a human, city bus and blue whale. Every number below carries its uncertainty with it.

LivingCarcharhinus leucas×LivingMitsukurina owstoni
QUICK VERDICT

Goblin shark is about 1.54× longer by these reference values.

Goblin shark uses a 6.17 m upper reference, compared with 4 m for Bull shark. Bull shark's weight reference is about 1.51× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
ABull sharkreported to 4 m / 13 ft
BGoblin sharkphoto-based estimates to 5.4–6.17 m / 18–20 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.

02

THE NUMBERS

Side by side.

MeasureBull sharkGoblin shark
Length referencereported to 4 m / 13 ftphoto-based estimates to 5.4–6.17 m / 18–20 ft
Weight referencereported to 316.5 kg / 698 lblarge specimen reported near 210 kg / 463 lb
Bite force170–5,914 N across studied sizes and bite pointsModeledNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatCoasts, estuaries and freshwaterDeep continental slopes worldwide
DietFish, rays, turtles and other sharksFishes, squid and crustaceans
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Bull shark is represented by reported to 4 m / 13 ft; Goblin shark by photo-based estimates to 5.4–6.17 m / 18–20 ft. The 4 m figure is a reported maximum; typical mature animals are smaller. The longest figures come from regression estimates based on photographs.

Bite evidence

Bull shark: The upper value is a theoretical posterior bite for the largest specimen in a 73–285 cm study series—not a universal adult bite. Goblin shark: Jaw speed and protrusion are not the same measurement as bite force.

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

Its freshwater range is exceptional among large coastal sharks. Its jaws shoot forward rapidly; maximum body size remains uncertain.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Bull sharkHabegger et al. (2012) + Florida MuseumGoblin sharkFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →