SHARK VS SHARK

Common threshervsOceanic whitetip

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×LivingCarcharhinus longimanus
QUICK VERDICT

Common thresher is about 1.90× longer by these reference values.

Common thresher uses a 7.6 m upper reference, compared with 4 m for Oceanic whitetip. Common thresher's weight reference is about 2.0× 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
BOceanic whitetipreported to 4 m / 13 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 thresherOceanic whitetip
Length referencereported to 7.6 m / 24.9 ftreported to 4 m / 13 ft
Weight referencerecorded over 340 kg / 750 lbrecorded to 167.4 kg / 369 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatTemperate and tropical open watersWarm open ocean
DietSchooling fishes and squidFishes, squid, turtles and carrion
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; Oceanic whitetip by reported to 4 m / 13 ft. Length comparisons can exaggerate body bulk because the tail is exceptionally long. The comparison deliberately distinguishes the record from common size.

Bite evidence

Common thresher: Its hunting performance cannot be reduced to jaw force. Oceanic whitetip: A traceable, species-wide maximum is not available.

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. Most individuals are under 3 m even though larger records exist.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Common thresherFlorida MuseumOceanic whitetipFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →