Goblin shark is about 1.39× longer by these reference values.
Goblin shark uses a 6.17 m upper reference, compared with 4.45 m for Shortfin mako. Shortfin mako's weight reference is about 2.7× heavier.
ON THE SAME SCALE
Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.
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.
THE NUMBERS
Side by side.
WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY
Size is not the whole animal.
Length and weight
Goblin shark is represented by photo-based estimates to 5.4–6.17 m / 18–20 ft; Shortfin mako by reported to about 4.45 m / 14.6 ft. The longest figures come from regression estimates based on photographs. Record length and mass do not necessarily describe the same individual.
Bite evidence
Goblin shark: Jaw speed and protrusion are not the same measurement as bite force. 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
Its jaws shoot forward rapidly; maximum body size remains uncertain. Speed is its signature; the biggest animals are unusual and hard to verify.
TRACE THE CLAIMS