SHARK VS SHARK

Otodus obliquusvsSand tiger shark

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

ExtinctOtodus obliquus×LivingCarcharias taurus
QUICK VERDICT

Otodus obliquus is about 2.8× longer by these reference values.

Otodus obliquus uses a 9.1 m upper reference, compared with 3.2 m for Sand tiger shark. A clean mass ratio is not shown because at least one weight is not reliably reconstructed.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
AOtodus obliquusestimated to about 9.1 m / 30 ft
BSand tiger sharkreported to about 3.2 m / 10.5 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.

MeasureOtodus obliquusSand tiger shark
Length referenceestimated to about 9.1 m / 30 ftreported to about 3.2 m / 10.5 ft
Weight referenceNot reliably reconstructedreported to about 159 kg / 350 lb
Bite forceNo defensible estimate usedUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
Timeabout 56–45 million years agoTemperate and subtropical coasts
DietLarge fishes and marine vertebratesFishes, rays, squid and crustaceans
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Otodus obliquus is represented by estimated to about 9.1 m / 30 ft; Sand tiger shark by reported to about 3.2 m / 10.5 ft. Soft-body dimensions are inferred from teeth and living analogues. Upper records vary by region and source.

Bite evidence

Otodus obliquus: No species-specific model is used. Sand tiger shark: A reliable comparable maximum was not found.

Living versus extinct

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

Ecology changes the matchup

It belonged to the megatooth lineage that later produced megalodon. Its protruding teeth look dramatic, but appearance alone does not reveal bite force.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Otodus obliquusPaleobiology DatabaseSand tiger sharkFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →