SHARK VS SHARK

Great hammerheadvsBluntnose sixgill

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×LivingHexanchus griseus
QUICK VERDICT

Great hammerhead is about 1.27× longer by these reference values.

Great hammerhead uses a 6.1 m upper reference, compared with 4.8 m for Bluntnose sixgill. Bluntnose sixgill's weight reference is about 1.31× 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
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.

MeasureGreat hammerheadBluntnose sixgill
Length referencereported to 6.1 m / 20 ftreported to 4.8 m / 15.8 ft
Weight referencerecorded to about 450 kg / 991 lbpublished to 590 kg / 1,300 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatTropical coastal and offshore watersDeep temperate and tropical waters
DietRays, fish and smaller sharksFishes, rays, seals and carrion
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; Bluntnose sixgill by reported to 4.8 m / 15.8 ft. The comparison uses the largest reported length and a record mass. Deepwater sampling is difficult, so upper records are sparse.

Bite evidence

Great hammerhead: Comparative biomechanics exist, but a simple verified maximum is not established here. 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

Its wide head is a sensory platform, not just an unusual silhouette. Its six gill slits mark an ancient branch of shark diversity.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Great hammerheadFlorida MuseumBluntnose sixgillFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →