🦈 Bull shark vs Shortfin mako 🦈
The shortfin mako is about one and a half times as long as the bull shark. They are about the same.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🦈 Bull shark | 🦈 Shortfin mako |
|---|---|---|
| Size The shortfin mako is about one and a half times as long as the bull shark. | 7.5 to 9.3 ft2.3 to 2.8 m1 | 10 to 12 ft3.2 to 3.8 m2 |
| Top speed Neither has a checked number yet. | no checked number yet | no checked number yet |
| Weight They are about the same. | 209 to 245 lb95 to 111 kg1 | 132 to 298 lb60 to 135 kg2 |
| Lives They are about the same. | 32 years32 years1 | 29 to 32 years29 to 32 years2 |
| Eats Both eat fish. | mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs | mostly fish such as bluefish, plus squid |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | warm, shallow coastal seas, and also rivers and lakes | open ocean in warm and cool seas around the world, mostly near the surface |
Which one? Bull shark or shortfin mako
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the bull shark or the shortfin mako yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed. Our face-off books compare real numbers, and nobody gets hurt.
10 things to know about Bull shark vs Shortfin mako
- The bull shark: A sturdy shark that can swim in salt water and in fresh water.
- The shortfin mako: A sleek open-ocean shark that travels far across the sea.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are fish.
- The shortfin mako is about one and a half times as long as the bull shark: 2 against 1.
- They are about the same. That is 1 for the bull shark and 2 for the shortfin mako.
- They are about the same. Usual lifespans: 1 for the bull shark and 2 for the shortfin mako.
- Both eat fish. The bull shark eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs; the shortfin mako eats mostly fish such as bluefish, plus squid.
- The bull shark lives in warm, shallow coastal seas, and also rivers and lakes. The shortfin mako lives in open ocean in warm and cool seas around the world, mostly near the surface. They can live in the same kind of place.
- The bull shark: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The shortfin mako: in danger (Endangered on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🦈 Bull shark
- A bull shark can swim in salt water and in fresh water.
- It is the only shark that can stay in fresh water for a long time.
- It eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays.
🦈 Shortfin mako
- A shortfin mako travels very long distances.
- Females are bigger than males.
- It lives in warm and cool seas around the world.
Questions kids ask about Bull shark and Shortfin mako
Which is bigger, bull shark or shortfin mako?
The shortfin mako is about one and a half times as long as the bull shark: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, bull shark or shortfin mako?
They are about the same. That is 1 for the bull shark and 2 for the shortfin mako.
Which lives longer, bull shark or shortfin mako?
They are about the same. Usual lifespans: 1 for the bull shark and 2 for the shortfin mako.
What do bull shark and shortfin mako eat?
Both eat fish. The bull shark eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs; the shortfin mako eats mostly fish such as bluefish, plus squid.
Where do bull shark and shortfin mako live?
The bull shark lives in warm, shallow coastal seas, and also rivers and lakes. The shortfin mako lives in open ocean in warm and cool seas around the world, mostly near the surface. They can live in the same kind of place.
Do bull sharks eat shortfin makos?
The bull shark eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs. Shortfin makos are not in that list, which comes from its page. And the shortfin mako is about one and a half times as long as the bull shark.
Do shortfin makos eat bull sharks?
The shortfin mako eats mostly fish such as bluefish, plus squid. Bull sharks are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Who would win, bull shark or shortfin mako?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They can share the same kind of place, and real animals mostly keep out of each other's way. What we can compare is how big, how heavy, how fast, how long they live and what they eat, as above.
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/bull-shark-vs-mako-shark
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Carcharhinus leucas (bull shark), checked 10 November 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Isurus oxyrinchus (shortfin mako), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.