SHARK VS SHARK

Sand tiger 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.

LivingCarcharias taurus×LivingHexanchus griseus
QUICK VERDICT

Bluntnose sixgill is about 1.50× longer by these reference values.

Bluntnose sixgill uses a 4.8 m upper reference, compared with 3.2 m for Sand tiger shark. Bluntnose sixgill's weight reference is about 3.7× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
ASand tiger sharkreported to about 3.2 m / 10.5 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.

MeasureSand tiger sharkBluntnose sixgill
Length referencereported to about 3.2 m / 10.5 ftreported to 4.8 m / 15.8 ft
Weight referencereported to about 159 kg / 350 lbpublished to 590 kg / 1,300 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatTemperate and subtropical coastsDeep temperate and tropical waters
DietFishes, rays, squid and crustaceansFishes, rays, seals and carrion
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Sand tiger shark is represented by reported to about 3.2 m / 10.5 ft; Bluntnose sixgill by reported to 4.8 m / 15.8 ft. Upper records vary by region and source. Deepwater sampling is difficult, so upper records are sparse.

Bite evidence

Sand tiger shark: A reliable comparable maximum was not found. 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

Its protruding teeth look dramatic, but appearance alone does not reveal bite force. Its six gill slits mark an ancient branch of shark diversity.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Sand tiger sharkFlorida MuseumBluntnose sixgillFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →