SHARK VS SHARK

Epaulette sharkvsGreat hammerhead

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

LivingHemiscyllium ocellatum×LivingSphyrna mokarran
QUICK VERDICT

Great hammerhead is about 5.7× longer by these reference values.

Great hammerhead uses a 6.1 m upper reference, compared with 1.07 m for Epaulette shark. Great hammerhead's weight reference is about 150× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
AEpaulette sharkreported to 1.07 m / 3.5 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.

MeasureEpaulette sharkGreat hammerhead
Length referencereported to 1.07 m / 3.5 ftreported to 6.1 m / 20 ft
Weight referencelarge-adult reference about 3 kg / 6.6 lbrecorded to about 450 kg / 991 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatShallow coral reefs of Australia and New GuineaTropical coastal and offshore waters
DietWorms, crustaceans and small fishesRays, fish and smaller sharks
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Epaulette shark is represented by reported to 1.07 m / 3.5 ft; Great hammerhead by reported to 6.1 m / 20 ft. Mass varies strongly with size and is shown only as a reference. The comparison uses the largest reported length and a record mass.

Bite evidence

Epaulette shark: No standardized maximum is used. 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

It can use its fins to walk across reef flats and tolerate low oxygen. Its wide head is a sensory platform, not just an unusual silhouette.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Epaulette sharkAustralian MuseumGreat hammerheadFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →