SHARK VS SHARK

Great hammerheadvsSand tiger shark

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

LivingSphyrna mokarran×LivingCarcharias taurus
QUICK VERDICT

Great hammerhead is about 1.91× longer by these reference values.

Great hammerhead uses a 6.1 m upper reference, compared with 3.2 m for Sand tiger shark. Great hammerhead's weight reference is about 2.8× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
AGreat hammerheadreported to 6.1 m / 20 ft
BSand tiger sharkreported to about 3.2 m / 10.5 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.

MeasureGreat hammerheadSand tiger shark
Length referencereported to 6.1 m / 20 ftreported to about 3.2 m / 10.5 ft
Weight referencerecorded to about 450 kg / 991 lbreported to about 159 kg / 350 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatTropical coastal and offshore watersTemperate and subtropical coasts
DietRays, fish and smaller sharksFishes, rays, squid and crustaceans
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Great hammerhead is represented by reported to 6.1 m / 20 ft; Sand tiger shark by reported to about 3.2 m / 10.5 ft. The comparison uses the largest reported length and a record mass. Upper records vary by region and source.

Bite evidence

Great hammerhead: Comparative biomechanics exist, but a simple verified maximum is not established here. Sand tiger shark: A reliable comparable maximum was not found.

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 wide head is a sensory platform, not just an unusual silhouette. Its protruding teeth look dramatic, but appearance alone does not reveal bite force.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Great hammerheadFlorida MuseumSand tiger sharkFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →