https://cdn.fishfyi.com/og/es/compare/great-hammerhead-shark-vs-whale-shark.png

Cornuda gigante vs Tiburón ballena

Sphyrna mokarran comparado con Rhincodon typus

Taxonomy & Classification

Atributo Cornuda gigante Tiburón ballena
Nombre Científico Sphyrna mokarran Rhincodon typus
Orden Carcharhiniformes Orectolobiformes
Familia Sphyrnidae Rhincodontidae
Conservation Status Critically Endangered Endangered

Physical Traits

Atributo Cornuda gigante Tiburón ballena
Longitud Máxima 610,0 cm 1800,0 cm
Peso Máximo 580,0 kg 21500,0 kg
Color Brownish-gray to olive-gray dorsal surface with a clean countershaded white belly; no distinct patterning; first dorsal fin is tall and strongly falcate; pelvic fin tips dusky. Dark gray to blue-gray back covered with a distinctive checkerboard grid of pale white or cream spots and transverse stripes; belly white; the unique spot pattern is unique to each individual.

Habitat & Environment

Atributo Cornuda gigante Tiburón ballena
Tipo de Agua Saltwater Saltwater
Rango de Profundidad 1-300m 0-1928m
Distribución Geográfica Circumtropical in warm coastal and offshore waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Concentrates around coral reefs, continental shelf edges, and deep-water drop-offs; population … Pantropical in open oceanic and coastal waters between 30°N and 35°S. Aggregates seasonally at feeding sites including Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, the Gulf of …
Hábitat Neritic Neritic, coral reefs

Cuisine & Edibility

Cornuda gigante

Critically Endangered — consumption strongly discouraged. Fins are historically traded but the species faces severe population decline; eating this fish is ecologically irresponsible.

Tiburón ballena

Endangered species — consumption is strongly discouraged and illegal in many countries. Historically consumed in parts of Asia; now internationally protected under CITES Appendix II.

Species Overview

Cornuda gigante

The great hammerhead is the largest of the nine hammerhead shark species. Its distinctive cephalofoil (hammer-shaped head) houses an array of electroreceptors that allow it to detect stingrays buried beneath the sand.

Tiburón ballena

The whale shark is the largest living fish species, reaching lengths of up to 18 meters. Despite its enormous size, it is a gentle filter feeder that consumes plankton, fish eggs, and small fish by swimming with its wide mouth open.

Related Comparisons

Nature FYI Family

Explore more wildlife and biodiversity encyclopedias