SHARK VS SHARK

Greenland sharkvsNurse 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×LivingGinglymostoma cirratum
QUICK VERDICT

Greenland shark is about 2.1× longer by these reference values.

Greenland shark uses a 6.4 m upper reference, compared with 3.08 m for Nurse shark. Greenland shark's weight reference is about 9.3× 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
BNurse sharkrecorded to 3.08 m / 10.1 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 sharkNurse shark
Length referenceconfirmed to about 6.4 m / 21 ftrecorded to 3.08 m / 10.1 ft
Weight referencereported to about 1,023 kg / 2,255 lblarge-adult reference about 110 kg / 243 lb
Bite forceNo reliable published estimateUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatCold North Atlantic and Arctic watersWarm reefs, flats and mangroves
DietFish, carrion and marine mammalsFishes, rays, mollusks and crustaceans
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; Nurse shark by recorded to 3.08 m / 10.1 ft. Age and upper mass involve uncertainty; length is better documented. Length is a recorded maximum; mass is a rounded adult reference.

Bite evidence

Greenland shark: TuffShark found no defensible species-level bite-force estimate to display. Nurse shark: Suction performance is central to feeding and is not captured by bite-force rankings.

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. A small mouth and powerful suction suit its bottom-feeding life.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

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