SHARK VS SHARK

Dwarf lanternsharkvsGreat hammerhead

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

LivingEtmopterus perryi×LivingSphyrna mokarran
QUICK VERDICT

Great hammerhead is about 29× longer by these reference values.

Great hammerhead uses a 6.1 m upper reference, compared with 0.21 m for Dwarf lanternshark. Great hammerhead's weight reference is about 2250× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
ADwarf lanternsharkabout 0.21 m / 8.3 in
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.

MeasureDwarf lanternsharkGreat hammerhead
Length referenceabout 0.21 m / 8.3 inreported to 6.1 m / 20 ft
Weight referencerough reference about 0.2 kg / 0.4 lbrecorded to about 450 kg / 991 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatDeep Caribbean slopesTropical coastal and offshore waters
DietSmall crustaceans and fishesRays, fish and smaller sharks
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Dwarf lanternshark is represented by about 0.21 m / 8.3 in; Great hammerhead by reported to 6.1 m / 20 ft. Tiny sample sizes make the exact maximum provisional. The comparison uses the largest reported length and a record mass.

Bite evidence

Dwarf lanternshark: No standardized maximum is available. 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

One of the smallest known sharks also produces light. Its wide head is a sensory platform, not just an unusual silhouette.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Dwarf lanternsharkSmithsonian OceanGreat hammerheadFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →