We have already seen some of the worlds smallest sharks so its only fair we take a look at the worlds longest as well. These are the killers of the sea, the real nightmares of the deep and all of them deeply underappreciated. So let’s play some Jaws music and get on with the list…
Ten of the Longest Species of Sharks in the World
10 – Thresher Shark – Average Adult Length: 19.7 ft (6 m)
Also known as a Fox Shark is gets that name thanks to its unusually large tail. This shark is not fussy at all and seems to be quite happy in all temperate and tropical oceans all over the world.
9 – Tiger Shark – Average Adult Length: 19.7 ft (6 m)
Called Tiger Sharks thanks to their black stripes going all over their body this is the only living species of the genus Galeocerdo. This shark also doesn’t have any preference on where it swims, be it warm or cold.
8 – Great Hammerhead Shark – Average Adult Length: 20 ft (6.1 m)
Despite their name, they don’t like hitting nails on the head at all but do enjoy munching on Stingrays which is their favourite food. Sadly it has been known to eat the odd human as well.
7 – Goblin Shark – Average Adult Length: 20.24 ft (6.17 m)
This rare species of deep-sea shark is almost a living fossil as is said to be of the same family as the Mitsukurinidae which is a lineage that goes back some 125 million years!
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6 – Greenland Shark – Average Adult Length: 21 ft (6.4 m)
Also called a Gurry Shark it’s a large shark of the family Somniosidae (“sleeper sharks”) which is closely related to the Pacific and southern sleeper sharks. What is so amazing about these sharks is their lifespan which could be as high as 400 years old in the perfect environment, but averages only 120 which is still quite a lot!
5 – Pacific Sleeper Shark – Average Adult Length: 24.3 ft (7.4 m)
The Pacific Sleeper Shark loves the deep sea and is mostly found at around 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) deep. While much larger Pacific Sleeper Sharks have been found and measured they are mostly just over 7 meters.
4 – Great White Shark – Average Adult Length: 24.6 ft (7.5 m)
And so we come to Jaws himself, but still only number 4 on this list! While they mostly eat smaller fish while young, once they grow in size and in group they will start to each much larger things like seals and small whales.
3 – Bluntnose Sixgill Shark – Average Adult Length: 26 ft (8.1 m)
Found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide it is a fish with no set diet and is often found to eat just about anything that they can catch which also means the odd human as well.
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2 – Basking Shark – Average Adult Length: 40.4 ft (12.3 m)
This is one of just three plankton-eating sharks that grows to a pretty scary length. While it is no threat to humans it large fin sticking out of the water can still give you a fright.
1 – Whale Shark – Average Adult Length: 41.7 ft (12.7 m)
This might be the biggest shark species in the world, but it is also one of the slowest moving. It’s a filter-feeding carpet shark that loves plankton and luckily for us humans it hates anything much bigger. Given its size, I guess it can just eat whatever it likes!
