Quick Take
- These two giants share a surprisingly short list of things in common, and the differences tell you everything about who wins a face-off. Compare the two giants →
- One of these sharks could swallow you whole, while the other one technically could too, but for a completely different reason. See how each shark feeds →
- The megalodon needed to eat an almost unimaginable amount of food daily, a fact that raises a dark question about what counted as a meal. Explore the megalodon's diet →
- Whale sharks have no natural predators alive today, though that title may not have always been theirs to hold. Find out who hunted whom →
The megalodon (Otodus megalodon) lived from approximately 23 million to 3.6 million years ago, during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. These massive sharks inhabited tropical and temperate oceans worldwide before going extinct around 2.6 million years ago due to a period of global cooling that restricted their habitats and caused their prey to relocate. While whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are the largest extant (living) fish, they are not closely related to megalodons. Both species share similarities in size, with each reaching lengths of up to 60 feet or more, and both have large mouths. However, their differences are significant. Continue reading to learn more about these two enormous sea creatures.
Size
The extinct megalodon likely grew to a maximum size of approximately 54 to 80 feet long, with some estimates reaching 94 tons (188,000 pounds) in weight. Researchers arrive at these sizes by comparing fossil teeth and vertebral fragments to modern sharks, like the great white, which are much smaller at roughly 20 feet long.
The extinct megalodon is the largest shark to have ever lived. Image: rows of enormous fossilized megalodon teeth.
©ilikeyellow/Shutterstock.com
Whale sharks are the largest extant (living) fish species in the world. These massive fish typically measure up to 40 feet long, although one specimen has been recorded at 61.7 feet long. Whale sharks have an average weight of around 20 tons (41,000 pounds).
Megalodons were slightly longer and significantly heavier than whale sharks. While whale sharks hold the title for the largest living shark, megalodons were the largest sharks to have ever existed.
Hunting Methods
Megalodons were carnivorous predators that ate baleen whales, sea turtles, toothed whales, and other sharks. The megalodon was likely a stealth hunter that would wait below its prey, explode upward, deliver a massive bite, and then wait for the prey to bleed out. Recent studies estimate that a megalodon needed to consume around 100,000 kilocalories per day to maintain its weight, which would require eating several large prey animals daily.
Megalodons were apex predators that used stealth for hunting. Image: A megalodon tooth (left) compared to whale shark teeth (right).
©Mark_Kostich/Shutterstock.com
Whale sharks are filter feeders that swim with their mouths open, sucking in large volumes of water to capture small prey like plankton, fish eggs, and small fish. Water is directed through their gills, which have spongy filter pads that trap the food. This filtered food is then collected in the back of the mouth before being swallowed. Using this method, whale sharks passively obtain large amounts of food without expending much energy.
Recent research suggests that an adult whale shark may require up to 485 pounds of food per day, though the exact amount can vary depending on size, age, and food availability.
Predator or Prey?
Whale sharks have existed in their current form for about 28 million years, with their earliest ancestors appearing in the Oligocene epoch. While the fossil record isn’t complete, it’s safe to say that some version of whale sharks existed around the time megalodons roamed the oceans. So, would a megalodon have eaten a whale shark?
With its seven-inch teeth and predatory behavior, it’s possible that a megalodon would have attacked the prehistoric relatives of whale sharks if it were hungry enough. Whale sharks are incredibly small at birth, and small fish such as marlin and swordfish are known to eat young whale sharks. Given this, it’s easy to imagine that a megalodon would have no trouble eating a juvenile whale shark. Even a full-sized whale shark would likely not fare any better.
Whale sharks may be the largest sharks alive, but megalodons would likely eat them if given the opportunity.
©paul cowell/Shutterstock.com
Although adult whale sharks have very few natural predators, orcas (killer whales) have been documented preying on them, and a massive megalodon would likely have been able to kill a whale shark as well. Whale sharks have no defensive capabilities and rely solely on their size to deter predators. After a single bite and rapid blood loss, the megalodon would have quite a feast.
