The short answer: Shark weight varies enormously by species. Small sharks weigh around 14 kilograms (30 pounds), great whites can reach 1,100 kilograms (2,400 pounds), and the whale shark can weigh up to 20,000 kilograms (44,000 pounds).
Shark weight by type
There are over 500 shark species spanning a huge size range. Here are representative figures.
| Type (example) | Typical weight |
|---|---|
| Spiny dogfish | About 7 to 14 kg (15 to 31 lb) |
| Blacktip reef shark | About 15 to 30 kg (33 to 66 lb) |
| Bull shark | About 90 to 230 kg (200 to 500 lb) |
| Great white shark | About 680 to 1,100 kg (1,500 to 2,400 lb) |
| Whale shark (largest) | Up to roughly 20,000 kg (44,000 lb) |
What affects shark weight
- Species. Sharks range from under a kilogram to many tonnes.
- Length. Weight scales steeply with body length within a species.
- Sex. In many species females grow larger and heavier than males.
- Diet and region. Prey availability shapes typical adult size.
- Age. Sharks keep growing, so older individuals tend to be heaviest.
How shark weight compares
A whale shark at 20 tonnes weighs about as much as three or four African elephants, while a great white is closer to a single small car.
Frequently asked questions
What is the heaviest shark?
The whale shark is the heaviest shark and the largest fish, weighing up to about 20,000 kilograms (44,000 pounds).
How much does an average shark weigh?
There is no single average because species differ so widely, but many common reef and coastal sharks weigh tens of kilograms rather than hundreds.
How much does a great white shark weigh compared with other sharks?
A great white weighs up to about 1,100 kilograms, much more than small sharks like dogfish but far less than the giant whale shark.
