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Scientists Discover a New Species of 'Walking' Shark in Papua New Guinea. They Suspect It's at Risk of Going Extinct
Key takeaways
- Mark Erdmann Residents of southeastern Papua New Guinea have long known about an unusual fish that can “walk” across the reef flats at low tide with most of its body out of the water.
- Now, scientists have identified the creature as a previously undescribed species.
- Researchers describe H. dudgeonae—the first new species within the Hemiscyllium genus since 2013—in a paper published on June 15 in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation.
The new species is covered in spots and dashes. Mark Erdmann Residents of southeastern Papua New Guinea have long known about an unusual fish that can “walk” across the reef flats at low tide with most of its body out of the water. They call it kadedekedewa, which loosely means “lazy shark” or “dog shark,” a reference to its waddling gait.
Now, scientists have identified the creature as a previously undescribed species. They’ve dubbed it Hemiscyllium dudgeonae, or Dudgeon’s walking shark, and it belongs to a unique group of sharks whose members can use their strong pectoral fins like legs as they navigate the shores of Australia and the island of New Guinea.
Researchers describe H. dudgeonae—the first new species within the Hemiscyllium genus since 2013—in a paper published on June 15 in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation.