Bull shark is about 1.13× longer by these reference values.
Bull shark uses a 4 m upper reference, compared with 3.54 m for Zebra shark. Bull shark's weight reference is about 9.0× heavier.
ON THE SAME SCALE
Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.
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.
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; Zebra shark by reported to 3.54 m / 11.6 ft. The 4 m figure is a reported maximum; typical mature animals are smaller. Its very long tail adds substantially to total length.
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. Zebra shark: No standardized maximum is used.
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. Juveniles have stripes; adults are spotted despite the common name.
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