SHARK VS SHARK

MegalodonvsBluntnose sixgill

See the size difference first, then compare weight, habitat, diet and what the bite-force evidence can actually support.

ExtinctOtodus megalodon×LivingHexanchus griseus
QUICK VERDICT

Megalodon is about 3.2× longer by these reference values.

Megalodon uses a 15.3 m upper reference, compared with 4.8 m for Bluntnose sixgill. Megalodon's weight reference is about 81× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
AMegalodonevidence-based upper estimate 14.1–15.3 m / 46–50 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.

MeasureMegalodonBluntnose sixgill
Length referenceevidence-based upper estimate 14.1–15.3 m / 46–50 ftreported to 4.8 m / 15.8 ft
Weight referencemodeled reference around 48,000 kg / 53 tonspublished to 590 kg / 1,300 lb
Bite forcemodeled range about 108,514–182,201 NModeledNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
Timeabout 20–3.6 million years agoDeep temperate and tropical waters
DietLarge marine mammals, turtles and fishesFishes, rays, seals and carrion
03

WHAT SETS THEM APART

More than a size contest.

Length and weight

Megalodon is represented by evidence-based upper estimate 14.1–15.3 m / 46–50 ft; Bluntnose sixgill by reported to 4.8 m / 15.8 ft. No complete skeleton exists; 15.3 m is an evidence-based maximum from museum specimens, not a tape measurement. Deepwater sampling is difficult, so upper records are sparse.

Habitat and diet

Megalodon: Warm and temperate seas worldwide; large marine mammals, turtles and fishes. Bluntnose sixgill: Deep temperate and tropical waters; fishes, rays, seals and carrion.

Bite evidence

Megalodon: Finite-element scaling produced a range, not a directly measured bite. Bluntnose sixgill: No standardized maximum is available.

Fossils change the certainty

At least one animal is known from fossils. Fossil length, weight and bite estimates depend on which living analogues and scaling equations researchers choose.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

MegalodonWroe et al. (2008) + Shimada et al. (2020) ↗Bluntnose sixgillFlorida Museum ↗How we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →