12 New Walking Shark Species Found in Shallow Waters, Potentially Vulnerable to Extinction

A team of marine researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, has announced the discovery of 12 new species of walking sharks in the waters of Milne Bay, in southeastern Papua New Guinea. The species has been named Hemiscyllium dudgeonae, or Dudgeon's Walking Shark, after the researcher who first caught a specimen by hand, Christine Dudgeon. The findings were published in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation. Walking sharks are a group of small sharks belonging to the genus Hemiscyllium. They use their muscular pectoral and pelvic fins to move across coral reef flats exposed during low tide. This allows them to travel between small tide pools, searching for prey, and survive in low-oxygen conditions for up to two hours. This ability to withstand hypoxic conditions has been previously studied in the more well-known epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum), which gets its name from dark spots behind its front fins resembling military rank insignia. According to Dudgeon, the discovery of new shark species is relatively rare. "New shark species are not often found, and this is clearly the first to be named after me," she stated in an official release from the University of the Sunshine Coast. This species is the first walking shark described since 2013. After the first specimen, measuring around 90 centimeters, was brought aboard, researchers took blood samples for genetic analysis. These results formed the primary basis for confirming it as a new species, rather than a variation of an already known one. The discovery deepens our understanding of marine biodiversity but also serves as a reminder of the potential extinction risks faced by these unique creatures. Walking sharks are likely vulnerable due to their limited range and sensitivity to environmental changes.