Zebra shark is about 2.9× longer by these reference values.
Zebra shark uses a 3.54 m upper reference, compared with 1.22 m for Horn shark. Zebra shark's weight reference is about 3.5× heavier.
ON THE SAME SCALE
Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.
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.
THE NUMBERS
Side by side.
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; Zebra shark by reported to 3.54 m / 11.6 ft. Weight is a rounded adult reference. Its very long tail adds substantially to total length.
Bite evidence
Horn shark: Experiments also measured bites; the displayed range is the study's theoretical maximum from front to rear teeth. Zebra shark: No standardized maximum is used.
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. Juveniles have stripes; adults are spotted despite the common name.
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