SHARK VS SHARK

Megamouth sharkvsBluntnose sixgill

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

LivingMegachasma pelagios×LivingHexanchus griseus
QUICK VERDICT

Megamouth shark is about 1.48× longer by these reference values.

Megamouth shark uses a 7.1 m upper reference, compared with 4.8 m for Bluntnose sixgill. Megamouth shark's weight reference is about 2.1× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
AMegamouth sharkreported to about 7.1 m / 23 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.

MeasureMegamouth sharkBluntnose sixgill
Length referencereported to about 7.1 m / 23 ftreported to 4.8 m / 15.8 ft
Weight referencereported near 1,215 kg / 2,679 lbpublished to 590 kg / 1,300 lb
Bite forceNot meaningfully establishedUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatDeep tropical and subtropical oceansDeep temperate and tropical waters
DietKrill and other planktonFishes, rays, seals and carrion
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Megamouth shark is represented by reported to about 7.1 m / 23 ft; Bluntnose sixgill by reported to 4.8 m / 15.8 ft. Sparse specimens make a true maximum difficult to establish. Deepwater sampling is difficult, so upper records are sparse.

Bite evidence

Megamouth shark: This filter feeder lacks a comparable maximum-bite study. 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

Known from relatively few encounters, it still carries major uncertainty. Its six gill slits mark an ancient branch of shark diversity.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Megamouth sharkFlorida MuseumBluntnose sixgillFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →