SHARK VS SHARK

Oceanic whitetipvsShortfin mako

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

LivingCarcharhinus longimanus×LivingIsurus oxyrinchus
QUICK VERDICT

Shortfin mako is about 1.11× longer by these reference values.

Shortfin mako uses a 4.45 m upper reference, compared with 4 m for Oceanic whitetip. Shortfin mako's weight reference is about 3.4× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
AOceanic whitetipreported to 4 m / 13 ft
BShortfin makoreported to about 4.45 m / 14.6 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.

MeasureOceanic whitetipShortfin mako
Length referencereported to 4 m / 13 ftreported to about 4.45 m / 14.6 ft
Weight referencerecorded to 167.4 kg / 369 lbrecorded to about 570 kg / 1,257 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatWarm open oceanOpen tropical and temperate oceans
DietFishes, squid, turtles and carrionFast fishes, squid and other sharks
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Oceanic whitetip is represented by reported to 4 m / 13 ft; Shortfin mako by reported to about 4.45 m / 14.6 ft. The comparison deliberately distinguishes the record from common size. Record length and mass do not necessarily describe the same individual.

Bite evidence

Oceanic whitetip: A traceable, species-wide maximum is not available. Shortfin mako: No directly comparable maximum bite-force estimate 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

Most individuals are under 3 m even though larger records exist. Speed is its signature; the biggest animals are unusual and hard to verify.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Oceanic whitetipFlorida MuseumShortfin makoFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →