SHARK VS SHARK

Greenland sharkvsMegamouth shark

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

LivingSomniosus microcephalus×LivingMegachasma pelagios
QUICK VERDICT

Megamouth shark is about 1.11× longer by these reference values.

Megamouth shark uses a 7.1 m upper reference, compared with 6.4 m for Greenland shark. Megamouth shark's weight reference is about 1.19× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
AGreenland sharkconfirmed to about 6.4 m / 21 ft
BMegamouth sharkreported to about 7.1 m / 23 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.

MeasureGreenland sharkMegamouth shark
Length referenceconfirmed to about 6.4 m / 21 ftreported to about 7.1 m / 23 ft
Weight referencereported to about 1,023 kg / 2,255 lbreported near 1,215 kg / 2,679 lb
Bite forceNo reliable published estimateUnknownNot meaningfully establishedUnknown
HabitatCold North Atlantic and Arctic watersDeep tropical and subtropical oceans
DietFish, carrion and marine mammalsKrill and other plankton
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Greenland shark is represented by confirmed to about 6.4 m / 21 ft; Megamouth shark by reported to about 7.1 m / 23 ft. Age and upper mass involve uncertainty; length is better documented. Sparse specimens make a true maximum difficult to establish.

Bite evidence

Greenland shark: TuffShark found no defensible species-level bite-force estimate to display. Megamouth shark: This filter feeder lacks a comparable maximum-bite study.

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

The age estimate is extraordinary; a dependable bite-force figure is not available. Known from relatively few encounters, it still carries major uncertainty.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Greenland sharkNOAA Ocean ServiceMegamouth sharkFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →