SHARK VS SHARK

Horn sharkvsTiger shark

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

LivingHeterodontus francisci×LivingGaleocerdo cuvier
QUICK VERDICT

Tiger shark is about 4.5× longer by these reference values.

Tiger shark uses a 5.5 m upper reference, compared with 1.22 m for Horn shark. Tiger shark's weight reference is about 90× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
AHorn sharkreported to 1.22 m / 4 ft
BTiger sharklargest specimens exceed 5.5 m / 18 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.

MeasureHorn sharkTiger shark
Length referencereported to 1.22 m / 4 ftlargest specimens exceed 5.5 m / 18 ft
Weight referencelarge-adult reference about 10 kg / 22 lbexceptional estimate over 900 kg / 2,000 lb
Bite force128–338 N theoretical, depending on tooth positionModeledNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatRocky eastern Pacific reefsTropical and warm-temperate seas
DietUrchins, crabs and mollusksTurtles, fishes, birds, carrion and more
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Horn shark is represented by reported to 1.22 m / 4 ft; Tiger shark by largest specimens exceed 5.5 m / 18 ft. Weight is a rounded adult reference. Both values describe exceptional animals, not an average adult.

Bite evidence

Horn shark: Experiments also measured bites; the displayed range is the study's theoretical maximum from front to rear teeth. Tiger shark: Popular figures are often repeated without a traceable species-level method.

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 rear teeth crush hard prey, and its bite mechanics have been tested directly and modeled. Its broad diet is real; an exact maximum bite number is not well established.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Horn sharkHuber et al. (2005)Tiger sharkFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →