SHARK VS SHARK

Epaulette sharkvsShortfin mako

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×LivingIsurus oxyrinchus
QUICK VERDICT

Shortfin mako is about 4.2× longer by these reference values.

Shortfin mako uses a 4.45 m upper reference, compared with 1.07 m for Epaulette shark. Shortfin mako's weight reference is about 190× 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
BShortfin makoreported to about 4.45 m / 14.6 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 sharkShortfin mako
Length referencereported to 1.07 m / 3.5 ftreported to about 4.45 m / 14.6 ft
Weight referencelarge-adult reference about 3 kg / 6.6 lbrecorded to about 570 kg / 1,257 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatShallow coral reefs of Australia and New GuineaOpen tropical and temperate oceans
DietWorms, crustaceans and small fishesFast fishes, squid and other 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; Shortfin mako by reported to about 4.45 m / 14.6 ft. Mass varies strongly with size and is shown only as a reference. Record length and mass do not necessarily describe the same individual.

Bite evidence

Epaulette shark: No standardized maximum is used. Shortfin mako: No directly comparable maximum bite-force estimate is used.

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. Speed is its signature; the biggest animals are unusual and hard to verify.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Epaulette sharkAustralian MuseumShortfin makoFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →