Hammerhead Shark vs. Tiger Shark: Who Would Win in a Fight?

Hammerhead vs. tiger shark; who will be the winner? Right away, things are looking good for the tiger shark. They’re the fourth largest shark species in the world and one of the most aggressive species alive. But don’t underestimate the hammerhead just yet. Despite its unusual appearance, this shark harbors its own set of impressive traits. Who would emerge victorious in a hypothetical confrontation, and what traits tip the scales in their favor? Follow along to find out.

Key Points About Tiger Sharks

• Tiger sharks, also known as “ocean trash cans,” have a diverse diet and are considered highly aggressive predators.
• They have a powerful bite force of 800 PSI or higher
• Tiger sharks can grow up to 18 feet in length and weigh between 850 to 1400 pounds.
• The largest recorded weight of a tiger shark is 1,785 pounds.
• They are capable of swimming at speeds of up to 20 mph.

Key Points About Hammerhead Sharks

• Hammerhead sharks can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh over 1,000 pounds.
• The largest recorded weight of a hammerhead shark is 991 pounds.
• They are also capable of swimming at speeds of up to 20 mph.
• Hammerhead sharks employ a rolled swimming technique that allows them to move more efficiently through the water.
• They have a specialized preference for rays and skates as their primary food source.
• Hammerhead sharks are more likely to attempt an escape in this fight due to their small mouths and feeding style.

Which Shark Is the Most Powerful?

Hammerhead vs. tiger shark, which shark is the most powerful? The tiger shark. Tiger sharks, along with the great white and bull sharks, are among the three most aggressive shark species. The damage inflicted by sharks is primarily attributed to their sharp and numerous teeth rather than the power of their jaws. Due to their lack of firm attachment to the jaws, these teeth are easily lost. Some sharks go through over 30,000 teeth in their lifetime.

Tiger sharks have a mouth full of jagged steak knives. Their square-shaped jaws house 48 identical teeth that grow up to 2 inches long. The teeth are wide, short, serrated, and point in all different directions. Both the top and bottom rows are full of teeth, a there’s even a saw-like area for cutting and tearing prey. The tiger shark’s long, narrow teeth are perfect for crushing turtle and crab shells. But these carnivorous beasts will feed and eat anything they come across.

The elastic muscles in their jaws allow them to swallow large prey like dolphins. They also eat turtles, fish, squid, crabs, rays, and seabirds. They’re called an “ocean trash can” or “garbage can of the sea” because they sometimes accidentally eat trash like baseballs, tires, and license plates. They’re used to bursting after prey and swallowing them whole, which doesn’t leave much room for investigating what they’re chomping on.

Comparing Bite Force: Hammerhead Shark vs. Tiger Shark

Hammerhead vs. tiger shark, who has the strongest bite? Tiger sharks do. Even though they’re a couple of feet smaller, tiger sharks have a stronger bite than hammerheads. Tiger sharks possess an impressive bite force that can be 800 PSI or higher. Hammerheads have an average bite force of around 539 PSI.

There’s no doubt about it; both sharks have powerful bites. But their relative bite force is modest compared to their massive bodies. Bite forces of other animals, such as saltwater crocodiles, are much stronger when body size is considered. The saltwater crocodile has the strongest bite force in the animal kingdom, a skull-crushing 3700 PSI.

How is a shark’s bite force determined? Researchers frequently employ a force transducer to measure the force of shark bites. At other times, they utilize X-ray imaging and muscle design models to accurately assess specific species’ biting strength.

Comparing Size: Hammerhead vs. Tiger Shark

How big are hammerheads? Hammerheads can grow 20 feet long and weigh over 1,000 pounds, but they’re not usually this large. On average, adult males are about 12 feet long; females are longer, with a maximum length of about 18 feet long. Great hammerheads can weigh around 500 pounds, with some smaller species weighing around 200 pounds. The maximum recorded hammerhead weight is 991 pounds.

How big are tiger sharks? Tiger sharks can reach astounding lengths of 18 feet, but it’s rare. Instead, the average tiger shark is around 10 to 14 feet long and weighs 850-1400 pounds. The tiger shark’s undeniable appetite and willingness to eat anything sometimes result in monstrous shark sizes. In 2004, Kevin J. Clapson caught the largest tiger shark off the coast of Ulladulla, Australia. It weighed 1,785 pounds and 11 ounces. This tied the record set in 1964 by Walter Maxwell, who caught a 1,780-pound tiger shark in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Even though they’re large, tiger sharks are smaller compared to other species like the whale shark, basking shark, and great white shark.

Comparing Speed: How Fast Can Hammerheads Swim?

Hammerhead shark vs. tiger shark: which is the fastest? It’s a tie. Hammerheads reach speeds of 20 mph, and so do tiger sharks. While they may reach similar speeds, each shark has their own unique swimming style. One shark rolls, the other glides.

Great hammerhead sharks increase efficiency by using a rolled swimming technique, where they swim on their side. Most sharks use their pectoral fins to prevent sinking, and the dorsal fin aids in quick turns. But, the great hammerhead’s dorsal fin is longer than its pectoral fins, so they swim on their sides which is called “rolled swimming”.

When a great hammerhead tilts to the side, they gradually transfer some of the lift from its pectoral fins to the dorsal fin, increasing the effective span of the lifting surfaces. You can think of it as the long dorsal fin increasing its “wingspan,” allowing the hammerhead to swim more efficiently.

At the same time, tiger sharks rely on their long fins to act like wings, as they glide through the waters. To go faster, they rely on their tail to provide bursts of speed. The high back and dorsal fin also allow for tight turns and quick spins.

Does Anything Eat Tiger Sharks?

Does anything eat tiger sharks? Sometimes killer whales target them. Killer whales are known to hunt and consume a variety of animals, including sharks. They’ve even been observed attacking and killing great white sharks, showcasing their power and dominance. These large whales hunt in groups called pods. They outwit sharks by flipping them upside down and causing tonic immobility, a behavior characterized by temporary paralysis. This video shows that orcas employ a well-coordinated attack strategy, including using their tails to create a whirlpool, delivering a powerful strike to the shark’s head, and flipping the shark onto its back to incapacitate it before consuming it.

Do Tiger Sharks Eat Hammerheads?

Will a tiger shark eat a hammerhead? Yes, a lot of sharks eat hammerheads.

Here’s a short list of the predators hammerheads have to watch out for:

• Tiger Sharks
• Great Whites
• Orcas

Hammerheads also need to watch out for members of their own species! Great hammerheads eat smaller hammerheads, including their young.

How Would a Hammerhead Fight a Tiger Shark?

A fight between a hammerhead and a tiger shark would look pretty odd because of where their mouths are. All nine species of hammerhead sharks would have difficulty landing any bites on their opponent. Hammerheads have small mouths compared to other predators and primarily feed on rays and skates. And their mouths are located on the underside of their head.Their feeding technique involves pinning down stingrays with their distinctive mallet-shaped head.

Instead of attacking the tiger shark, the hammerhead’s best bet will be to try and escape. Hammerhead sharks have been around for over 20 million years and are designed to know what’s happening around them. They have wideset eyes that provide a better visual range, and their heads are equipped with special sensory pores which allow them to detect the electrical fields of other animals.

Who Wins?

The tiger shark wins. And here’s why. The reasons for this are plentiful, but they boil down to three main factors: size, bite force, and feeding behavior.

In terms of size, while both species can reach impressive lengths, the tiger shark tends to outweigh the hammerhead. On average, tiger sharks are between 10 to 14 feet long and weigh between 850 to 1400 pounds. On the other hand, Hammerheads typically reach about 12 feet in length for males and weigh around 500 pounds. Bigger predators often have an advantage, particularly in the marine environment, where weight can lend extra power to attacks.

The second significant factor is bite force. The tiger shark’s bite force of over 800 PSI greatly outmatches the hammerhead’s 539 PSI. This not only means that a tiger shark’s bite would do more damage, but it also reflects the tiger shark’s adaptability as a predator. Its jaw is designed to crush and consume a wide variety of prey, which brings us to the third factor.

The tiger shark is an opportunistic feeder with a varied diet, including other sharks like the hammerhead. Known colloquially as the “ocean trash can,” they will consume almost anything they come across, even inedible objects. Their elastic jaws and saw-like teeth allow them to tear apart and consume large prey, such as dolphins, turtles, and hammerhead sharks.

On the contrary, the hammerhead’s feeding behavior is specialized, primarily feeding on rays and skates. Their unique head shape is utilized to pin down their prey. In a fight, the hammerhead would likely try to escape due to its small mouth and specific feeding style, which is ill-suited for combat against a larger and more aggressive predator like the tiger shark. The big-headed shark might have stood a chance if this was a hammerhead vs. barracuda fight.

What Shark Could Beat a Tiger Shark?

The great white shark wins when fighting a tiger shark. The great white shark and the tiger shark are both enormous, but on average, the great white is bigger. Great white sharks are much larger, weighing between 2,000 pounds and 5,000 pounds, with lengths of 18 feet to 26 feet, while tiger sharks weigh between 850 pounds and 1,400 pounds, with lengths of 10 feet to 14 feet.

Along with being bigger, great white sharks swim 5 mph faster than the tiger shark, with a top speed of 25 mph. They rely on their size, bursts of swim speed, and senses, including the ampullae of Lorenzini, which help them sense electrical currents in their prey.

And let’s not forget their teeth. Earlier, we mentioned that tiger sharks have 48 teeth. Well, great white sharks have over 300 serrated teeth in their mouths and a bite force of around 4,000 PSI. However, even though a great white shark could win this fight, tiger sharks aren’t a regular part of their diet.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Michael Zeigler & Michael Rothschild/Shutterstock.com