Whale shark is about 2.7× longer by these reference values.
Whale shark uses a 12.2 m upper reference, compared with 4.45 m for Shortfin mako. Whale shark's weight reference is about 37× heavier.
ON THE SAME SCALE
Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.
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.
THE NUMBERS
Side by side.
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; Whale shark by well documented near 12.2 m / 40 ft. Record length and mass do not necessarily describe the same individual. Exceptional historical lengths exist, but 12.2 m is a conservative comparison value.
Bite evidence
Shortfin mako: No directly comparable maximum bite-force estimate is used. Whale shark: Whale sharks filter feed; a comparable maximum bite-force study is not 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
Speed is its signature; the biggest animals are unusual and hard to verify. The largest living fish is a filter feeder, so a predatory bite ranking would mislead.
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