SHARK VS SHARK

Common threshervsGoblin shark

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

LivingAlopias vulpinus×LivingMitsukurina owstoni
QUICK VERDICT

Common thresher is about 1.23× longer by these reference values.

Common thresher uses a 7.6 m upper reference, compared with 6.17 m for Goblin shark. Common thresher's weight reference is about 1.62× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
ACommon thresherreported to 7.6 m / 24.9 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.

MeasureCommon thresherGoblin shark
Length referencereported to 7.6 m / 24.9 ftphoto-based estimates to 5.4–6.17 m / 18–20 ft
Weight referencerecorded over 340 kg / 750 lblarge specimen reported near 210 kg / 463 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatTemperate and tropical open watersDeep continental slopes worldwide
DietSchooling fishes and squidFishes, squid and crustaceans
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Common thresher is represented by reported to 7.6 m / 24.9 ft; Goblin shark by photo-based estimates to 5.4–6.17 m / 18–20 ft. Length comparisons can exaggerate body bulk because the tail is exceptionally long. The longest figures come from regression estimates based on photographs.

Bite evidence

Common thresher: Its hunting performance cannot be reduced to jaw force. 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

Much of its length is tail, which it uses to stun prey. Its jaws shoot forward rapidly; maximum body size remains uncertain.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Common thresherFlorida MuseumGoblin sharkFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →