SHARK VS SHARK

Common threshervsGreat hammerhead

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×LivingSphyrna mokarran
QUICK VERDICT

Common thresher is about 1.25× longer by these reference values.

Common thresher uses a 7.6 m upper reference, compared with 6.1 m for Great hammerhead. Great hammerhead's weight reference is about 1.32× 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
BGreat hammerheadreported to 6.1 m / 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 thresherGreat hammerhead
Length referencereported to 7.6 m / 24.9 ftreported to 6.1 m / 20 ft
Weight referencerecorded over 340 kg / 750 lbrecorded to about 450 kg / 991 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatTemperate and tropical open watersTropical coastal and offshore waters
DietSchooling fishes and squidRays, fish and smaller sharks
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; Great hammerhead by reported to 6.1 m / 20 ft. Length comparisons can exaggerate body bulk because the tail is exceptionally long. The comparison uses the largest reported length and a record mass.

Bite evidence

Common thresher: Its hunting performance cannot be reduced to jaw force. Great hammerhead: Comparative biomechanics exist, but a simple verified maximum is not established here.

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 wide head is a sensory platform, not just an unusual silhouette.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Common thresherFlorida MuseumGreat hammerheadFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →