SHARK VS SHARK

Epaulette sharkvsBluntnose sixgill

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×LivingHexanchus griseus
QUICK VERDICT

Bluntnose sixgill is about 4.5× longer by these reference values.

Bluntnose sixgill uses a 4.8 m upper reference, compared with 1.07 m for Epaulette shark. Bluntnose sixgill's weight reference is about 197× 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
BBluntnose sixgillreported to 4.8 m / 15.8 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 sharkBluntnose sixgill
Length referencereported to 1.07 m / 3.5 ftreported to 4.8 m / 15.8 ft
Weight referencelarge-adult reference about 3 kg / 6.6 lbpublished to 590 kg / 1,300 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatShallow coral reefs of Australia and New GuineaDeep temperate and tropical waters
DietWorms, crustaceans and small fishesFishes, rays, seals and carrion
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; Bluntnose sixgill by reported to 4.8 m / 15.8 ft. Mass varies strongly with size and is shown only as a reference. Deepwater sampling is difficult, so upper records are sparse.

Bite evidence

Epaulette shark: No standardized maximum is used. Bluntnose sixgill: No standardized maximum is 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

It can use its fins to walk across reef flats and tolerate low oxygen. Its six gill slits mark an ancient branch of shark diversity.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Epaulette sharkAustralian MuseumBluntnose sixgillFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →