Pacific News Minute: Scientists discover ‘walking’ shark in Papua New Guinea

A research team in Papua New Guinea has discovered a new species of shark that “walks.”

The fish is a type of epaulette shark, named for body markings that look like part of a military uniform.

It’s a small group native to New Guinea and Australia, known for waddling between rock pools at low tide.

Christine Dudgeon, from Queensland’s University of the Sunshine Coast, helped make the discovery during a night dive off southeastern New Guinea.

She told Radio New Zealand she first thought it was one of the nine known walking sharks in the genus Hemiscyllium, but its markings appeared unusual. After catching the three-foot-long shark by hand and examining it under light, her expedition saw distinctive white dashes and brown speckles.

They later found eleven more sharks with the same markings, proving the case that it was a new species.

Genetic analysis confirmed it as the 10th known species in the genus, named Hemiscyllium dudgeonae in Dudgeon’s honor.

Walking sharks can swim but often use their four fins like feet to move across sand and shallow reef pools.

The species is found only in Papua New Guinea, where its limited range and pressure from fishing and reef damage may put it at risk.

Communities have already created marine protected areas for related walking sharks and hope to protect this species’ habitat as well.