Spectrum #65: Order these sharks by typical length — the solution
The Spectrum puzzle from October 18, 2026: six things on one hidden scale, shortest to longest, with every figure and where the checks were best spent.
The puzzle
Order these sharks by typical length, shortest at the top and longest at the bottom. The board opened in this order:
- Shortfin mako
- Blacktip reef shark
- Great white shark
- Dwarf lanternshark
- Whale shark
- Basking shark
Blacktip reef shark was already in place; Dwarf lanternshark opened 3 places from home.
The walkthrough
The ends first. Dwarf lanternshark is the shortest of the six at 0.7 ft and Whale shark the longest at 40 ft. Anchor those and the middle four are what is left to place.
Where the scale splits. The widest gap is between Basking shark (26 ft) and Whale shark (40 ft) — 14 ft apart. Everything above that line belongs on the shortest side and everything below it on the longest side, so sorting the six into those two groups is most of the puzzle.
The closest call. Blacktip reef shark (5.5 ft) and Shortfin mako (10 ft) are only 4.5 ft apart — the pair that is a coin flip without the figures, and the place to spend a check: a check locks whatever is already right and leaves only the wrong tiles to swap.
The answer
| # | Shortest to Longest | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dwarf lanternshark | 0.7 ft |
| 2 | Blacktip reef shark | 5.5 ft |
| 3 | Shortfin mako | 10 ft |
| 4 | Great white shark | 15 ft |
| 5 | Basking shark | 26 ft |
| 6 | Whale shark | 40 ft |
Previous: Spectrum #64 (Sat, Oct 17) · Next: Spectrum #66 (Mon, Oct 19) · All Spectrum solutions
About Spectrum
Spectrum is Noggin’s daily ordering puzzle: six things, one hidden scale, three checks. Tiles in the right place lock green; the figures turn over when the board is done. How to play Spectrum, or play today’s.