SHARK VS SHARK

Cookiecutter sharkvsGreenland shark

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

LivingIsistius brasiliensis×LivingSomniosus microcephalus
QUICK VERDICT

Greenland shark is about 11× longer by these reference values.

Greenland shark uses a 6.4 m upper reference, compared with 0.56 m for Cookiecutter shark. Greenland shark's weight reference is about 205× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
ACookiecutter sharkabout 0.56 m / 22 in
BGreenland sharkconfirmed to about 6.4 m / 21 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.

MeasureCookiecutter sharkGreenland shark
Length referenceabout 0.56 m / 22 inconfirmed to about 6.4 m / 21 ft
Weight referencelarge-adult reference about 5 kg / 11 lbreported to about 1,023 kg / 2,255 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo reliable published estimateUnknown
HabitatDeep tropical and subtropical oceansCold North Atlantic and Arctic waters
DietPlugs of tissue from larger animals plus small preyFish, carrion and marine mammals
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Cookiecutter shark is represented by about 0.56 m / 22 in; Greenland shark by confirmed to about 6.4 m / 21 ft. Weight is a rounded comparison reference. Age and upper mass involve uncertainty; length is better documented.

Bite evidence

Cookiecutter shark: Bite shape is documented; a comparable force maximum is not. Greenland shark: TuffShark found no defensible species-level bite-force estimate to display.

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 bite removes a round plug; size alone does not predict ecological impact. The age estimate is extraordinary; a dependable bite-force figure is not available.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Cookiecutter sharkSmithsonian OceanGreenland sharkNOAA Ocean ServiceHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →