---
title: "giant Pacific octopus vs great hammerhead — size, speed and bi"
description: "giant Pacific octopus and great hammerhead compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle "
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/giant-pacific-octopus-vs-great-hammerhead/
site: "At One Place"
---

# giant Pacific octopus vs great hammerhead

**giant Pacific octopus vs great hammerhead: great hammerhead leads on 2 of 2 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The largest octopus species, with three hearts, blue blood and about 2,000 suckers. The largest hammerhead, whose broad head spreads its electroreceptors for finding buried rays. On the measurements below, great hammerhead leads on more of them — but they do not all point the same way, and the ones that disagree are the interesting part.

## The measurements

|  | giant Pacific octopus | great hammerhead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 10–71 kg | 150–580 kg |
| Length | — | 2.7–6.1 m |
| Lifespan | 3–5 yr | 20–44 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: great hammerhead is 15× heavier.
- Lifespan: great hammerhead is 7.5× a longer life.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a giant Pacific octopus bigger than a great hammerhead?

great hammerhead is heavier — 150–580 kg against 10–71 kg.

### Who would win, a giant Pacific octopus or a great hammerhead?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a giant Pacific octopus weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/giant-pacific-octopus/)
- [How much does a great hammerhead weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/great-hammerhead/)
- [cheetah vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [cougar vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [domestic cat vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [domestic cat vs giant Pacific octopus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-giant-pacific-octopus/)
- [gray wolf vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/gray-wolf-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [coyote vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/coyote-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [African elephant vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/african-elephant-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [African elephant vs giant Pacific octopus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/african-elephant-vs-giant-pacific-octopus/)
- [blue whale vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/blue-whale-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [blue whale vs giant Pacific octopus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/blue-whale-vs-giant-pacific-octopus/)
- [bottlenose dolphin vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/bottlenose-dolphin-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [bottlenose dolphin vs giant Pacific octopus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/bottlenose-dolphin-vs-giant-pacific-octopus/)

## Sources

- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — NOAA (https://www.noaa.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]