SHARK VS SHARK

Sand tiger sharkvsZebra shark

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×LivingStegostoma tigrinum
QUICK VERDICT

Zebra shark is about 1.11× longer by these reference values.

Zebra shark uses a 3.54 m upper reference, compared with 3.2 m for Sand tiger shark. Sand tiger shark's weight reference is about 4.5× 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
BZebra sharkreported to 3.54 m / 11.6 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.

MeasureSand tiger sharkZebra shark
Length referencereported to about 3.2 m / 10.5 ftreported to 3.54 m / 11.6 ft
Weight referencereported to about 159 kg / 350 lblarge-adult reference about 35 kg / 77 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatTemperate and subtropical coastsTropical Indo-Pacific reefs and sand flats
DietFishes, rays, squid and crustaceansMollusks, crustaceans and fishes
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; Zebra shark by reported to 3.54 m / 11.6 ft. Upper records vary by region and source. Its very long tail adds substantially to total length.

Bite evidence

Sand tiger shark: A reliable comparable maximum was not found. Zebra shark: No standardized maximum 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

Its protruding teeth look dramatic, but appearance alone does not reveal bite force. Juveniles have stripes; adults are spotted despite the common name.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Sand tiger sharkFlorida MuseumZebra sharkFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →