Meet The Newly Discovered Walking Shark From Papua New Guinea

A new study in eastern Papua New Guinea has identified a tenth species of walking shark, Hemiscyllium dudgeonae, a small bottom-dweller known for moving across reefs using its fins. Researchers combining extensive field surveys and genetic analyses found that walking sharks have highly restricted mobility and that offspring hatch near their parents, contributing to isolated populations and rapid speciation. The work also mapped non-overlapping distributions for several other species, emphasizing how complex the regional patchwork can be. H. dudgeonae appears to have a tiny, limited range and could be highly vulnerable to habitat degradation and fishing, potentially qualifying as Endangered. The findings suggest marine biodiversity in the Coral Triangle and similar regions may be underestimated. Walking sharks are found only in Australia and New Guinea, typically reaching about 70 to 80 centimeters (28 to 32 inches) and living in shallow coastal habitats often less than 10 meters deep.