SHARK VS SHARK

Shortfin makovsTiger shark

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

LivingIsurus oxyrinchus×LivingGaleocerdo cuvier
QUICK VERDICT

Tiger shark is about 1.24× longer by these reference values.

Tiger shark uses a 5.5 m upper reference, compared with 4.45 m for Shortfin mako. Tiger shark's weight reference is about 1.58× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
AShortfin makoreported to about 4.45 m / 14.6 ft
BTiger sharklargest specimens exceed 5.5 m / 18 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.

MeasureShortfin makoTiger shark
Length referencereported to about 4.45 m / 14.6 ftlargest specimens exceed 5.5 m / 18 ft
Weight referencerecorded to about 570 kg / 1,257 lbexceptional estimate over 900 kg / 2,000 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatOpen tropical and temperate oceansTropical and warm-temperate seas
DietFast fishes, squid and other sharksTurtles, fishes, birds, carrion and more
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Shortfin mako is represented by reported to about 4.45 m / 14.6 ft; Tiger shark by largest specimens exceed 5.5 m / 18 ft. Record length and mass do not necessarily describe the same individual. Both values describe exceptional animals, not an average adult.

Bite evidence

Shortfin mako: No directly comparable maximum bite-force estimate is used. Tiger shark: Popular figures are often repeated without a traceable species-level method.

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

Speed is its signature; the biggest animals are unusual and hard to verify. Its broad diet is real; an exact maximum bite number is not well established.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Shortfin makoFlorida MuseumTiger sharkFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →