Walking shark which ‘breaks all rules of survival’ studied by scientists for first time

Comparing how epaulette sharks move as they age could offer clues as to how they cope with challenging environmental conditions, reports Tom Batchelor

Researchers investigated how walking and swimming changes in the epaulette shark’s early development (Connor R. Gervais, Ph.D.)

A newly discovered walking shark which scientists say breaks “all of the rules for survival” is the subject of a first-of-its-kind study by US and Australian researchers.

The epaulette shark (hemiscyllium ocellatum), found in the southern Great Barrier Reef, measures just 3 feet long and can walk both in and out of water by wriggling its body and pushing itself forward using its paddle-shaped fins.

Experts at Florida Atlantic University and James Cook University and Macquaire University in Australia examined how the shark’s walking and swimming changes during its early development – offering clues as to how these sea creatures may be coping with the impact of climate change.