This shark can walk. Are you scared yet?
Researchers have discovered a new species of walking sharks that live in northern Australia and in the shallower parts of New Guinea. A type of shark that has the ability to walk on land may sound scary, but researchers note that walking shark species are quite small and usually eat small fish and invertebrates.
The incredible epaulette shark is not only a perfectly capable swimmer, but it can also “walk” between coral heads at low tide, along the seafloor, and even on land when needed. For that reason, it is often called the “walking shark.”
The number of walking shark species discovered has increased from four to nine.
The last walking sharks discovered by the researchers were found to belong to the ‘carpet sharks’ family and lived in an area extending from Western Australia to the southern waters of New Guinea.
Fun Fact
Sharks do not have bones. They use their gills to filter oxygen from the water. They are a special type of fish known "elasmobranch", which translates into fish made of cartilaginous tissues—the clear gristly stuff that your ears and nose tip are made of.
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