Whale shark vs Great white shark
Size and range side by side, using only figures recorded in Wikidata.
| Whale shark | Great white shark | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Rhincodon typus | Carcharodon carcharias |
| Mass | 12,000 kg Wikidata | 1,089 kg Wikidata |
| Lives in | Africa, Asia, North America, Oceania, South America | Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania |
| Status | Endangered | Vulnerable |
Quick answers
- Which is bigger, the Whale shark or the Great white shark?
- The whale shark is heavier: Wikidata gives 12,000 kg, against 1,089 kg.
- Where do they live?
- Whale shark: Africa, Asia, North America, Oceania, South America. Great white shark: Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania (continents with GBIF records).
About them
Whale shark
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species.
Great white shark
The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or great white, is a large shark.
Mass: Wikidata (CC0) statements without qualifiers or qualified male/female/adult (birth weights left out). Descriptions: first sentence of the English Wikipedia articles (CC BY-SA 4.0), linked from each animal page.