SHARK VS SHARK

Bull sharkvsHorn 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×LivingHeterodontus francisci
QUICK VERDICT

Bull shark is about 3.3× longer by these reference values.

Bull shark uses a 4 m upper reference, compared with 1.22 m for Horn shark. Bull shark's weight reference is about 32× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
ABull sharkreported to 4 m / 13 ft
BHorn sharkreported to 1.22 m / 4 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 sharkHorn shark
Length referencereported to 4 m / 13 ftreported to 1.22 m / 4 ft
Weight referencereported to 316.5 kg / 698 lblarge-adult reference about 10 kg / 22 lb
Bite force170–5,914 N across studied sizes and bite pointsModeled128–338 N theoretical, depending on tooth positionModeled
HabitatCoasts, estuaries and freshwaterRocky eastern Pacific reefs
DietFish, rays, turtles and other sharksUrchins, crabs and mollusks
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; Horn shark by reported to 1.22 m / 4 ft. The 4 m figure is a reported maximum; typical mature animals are smaller. Weight is a rounded adult reference.

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. Horn shark: Experiments also measured bites; the displayed range is the study's theoretical maximum from front to rear teeth.

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 rear teeth crush hard prey, and its bite mechanics have been tested directly and modeled.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Bull sharkHabegger et al. (2012) + Florida MuseumHorn sharkHuber et al. (2005)How we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →