A shark that can walk on its fins has just been discovered

Introduction: when a shark starts walking on the seafloor

A new species joins a very exclusive club

A team of divers and marine biologists has formally described a new shark species capable of using its pectoral and pelvic fins like small legs to move across the seafloor. Named Hemiscyllium dudgeonae, this species joins a very short list of walking sharks, a group that previously included only nine known species worldwide.

This unusual mode of movement mainly appears when the tide goes out, exposing shallow areas where these sharks must pick their way between exposed rocks and coral. Rather than actively swimming like most shark species, these animals prefer to crawl and walk slowly, a strategy particularly well suited to their shallow coastal habitat. Divers who have observed this behavior firsthand often describe it as almost comical at first glance, before recognizing just how effective it is for navigating such a cluttered, ever-shifting terrain.

A discovery confirmed after just a few days of diving

This discovery was confirmed after the capture of a first specimen, followed by the observation of eleven other individuals in just two days of diving off Papua New Guinea. This speed of confirmation, rather rare in the field of discovering new marine species, points to a stable, localized population large enough to allow repeated observations in such a short time in the field.

The scientific paper describing this new species was published on June 15, 2026 in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, a specialized journal that regularly documents advances in marine biodiversity, particularly in tropical regions still largely underexplored by international scientific expeditions. The paper's authors note that further genetic sequencing is planned to confirm the species' exact placement within the wider walking shark family tree.

The criteria used to distinguish this species from its already-known relatives include precise differences in coloration, skin patterns and body proportions, elements carefully compared by the research team before any official publication of this discovery.

Who are the walking sharks, these discreet cousins

A group of sharks with very particular habits

Walking sharks belong to a small group of species that share this unusual ability to move by relying on their fins rather than by actively swimming. Unlike the popular image of a fast open-water predator, these species live mainly in shallow reef zones, where traditional swimming would be less effective than this crawling mode of movement.

These sharks are generally small compared to their better-known oceanic cousins, and feed mainly on small invertebrates and fish that they flush out by methodically exploring the crevices and cavities of coral reefs at low tide. Most measure less than a meter in length, making them harmless to humans despite belonging to the same broad family as some of the ocean's largest predators.

A geographic distribution concentrated in the Pacific

Most known species of walking sharks to date are concentrated in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region, particularly around Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. This limited geographic range makes them particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes, whether from the degradation of coral reefs or coastal pollution.

This highly localized geographic concentration also explains why new species of this kind continue to be regularly discovered in this specific region of the globe, while other, much larger ocean areas have already been the subject of far more thorough and long-standing scientific surveys. Researchers describe this region as a genuine hotspot of shark diversification, likely driven by its complex maze of islands, reefs and shallow channels.

How scientists validate a new species

A rigorous approach based on multiple types of evidence

The formal description of a new species such as Hemiscyllium dudgeonae rests on a rigorous scientific process, combining direct field observation, detailed morphological analysis of captured specimens, and genetic comparisons with already known species catalogued in international scientific databases.

This methodological rigor is essential to avoid any confusion with already described species that simply show local variations in coloration or morphology, which could, at first glance, mistakenly suggest the existence of an entirely new and distinct species.

The role of scientific institutions in this validation

Institutions such as Australia's CSIRO, recognized for its expertise in marine research, along with the journal Frontiers, actively participate in validating and disseminating this kind of scientific discovery. This international collaboration between researchers from different institutions strengthens the credibility and rigor of conclusions published in peer-reviewed journals.

This validation process can take several months, or even several years in some cases, given how high the scientific bar is before a species is officially recognized by the international scientific community and added to reference taxonomic classifications. Independent experts not involved in the original fieldwork are typically asked to review the evidence before publication, adding another layer of scrutiny to the process.

Why this discovery is generating excitement among biologists

Evidence of the ocean's still-unknown richness

This discovery is a reminder that, despite decades of scientific exploration, the oceans continue to hide considerable biodiversity, particularly in tropical reef areas where new species can still be identified, sometimes even at shallow depths close to areas inhabited by human populations.

This unsuspected richness also illustrates the persistent limits of our knowledge of global marine biodiversity, a useful reminder in a context where many coastal ecosystems face growing environmental pressures, even before science has had time to fully document them through systematic surveys. Some researchers argue that dozens, if not hundreds, of similarly overlooked species may still be awaiting formal description in comparably under-surveyed reef systems.

A discovery that also raises questions about marine conservation

The discovery of new species like this walking shark also raises important questions about conservation, since species with such a limited geographic distribution can be particularly vulnerable to local disruptions, whether linked to climate change, fishing, or coastal development.

What we already know about this new species' behavior

Mostly nocturnal, discreet activity

Like most already known walking sharks, Hemiscyllium dudgeonae appears to show nocturnal activity, moving about more readily during the darkest hours to hunt small invertebrates hidden in reef crevices. This behavioral discretion partly explains why these species can remain unnoticed for a long time, even in areas regularly visited by both amateur and professional divers.

Its distinctive mode of movement, alternating between discreet swimming and crawling on its fins, allows it to efficiently explore shallow habitats inaccessible to larger predators, an adaptation that nicely illustrates the diversity of survival strategies developed by different shark species over the course of evolution.

Questions that remain open for researchers

Many questions remain open regarding the precise lifestyle of this new species, particularly its exact diet, its reproductive habits, and the true extent of its geographic range beyond the areas where the first specimens have been observed so far.

These open questions represent so many avenues for future research for marine biologists, who hope to deepen their understanding of this newly described species in the years ahead, particularly through extended field observation campaigns. Some researchers are already considering fitting a few specimens with miniature acoustic tags to track their nighttime movements over several months, a method that has already proven effective with other coastal shark species.

What this shark family teaches us about evolution

A remarkable adaptation to a demanding environment

The emergence of this highly distinctive mode of movement among walking sharks illustrates a striking example of evolutionary adaptation to a demanding coastal environment, where tidal fluctuations impose regular physical constraints that traditional swimming handles poorly. Over generations, natural selection appears to have favored individuals capable of efficiently exploiting these shallow zones otherwise avoided by larger predators.

This ecological specialization has allowed these species to occupy an ecological niche relatively sheltered from direct competition with larger marine predators, a survival strategy that nicely illustrates the diversity of solutions evolution can offer to the same environmental challenge faced by different shark lineages around the world.

A group that continues to intrigue evolutionary researchers

Evolutionary biologists continue to study with great interest the family relationships between the different species of walking sharks known to date, seeking to reconstruct the precise evolutionary history that led to the independent, or alternatively shared, emergence of this very specific mode of movement across several distinct lineages within this genus.

This comparative genetic research could eventually help us better understand not only the history of this particular group, but also the broader mechanisms by which new behavioral adaptations emerge in marine species facing similar environmental constraints across different regions of the globe. This comparative work now extends to several natural history museums that hold historical specimens, allowing researchers to cross-reference older data with the very latest genetic analyses available.

Conclusion: the oceans are not done surprising us

A discovery that calls for scientific humility

The description of this new walking shark is a powerful reminder that even relatively large and visible animals, like sharks, can still hold surprises for modern science. This humility in the face of everything left to discover in the oceans remains one of the key driving forces behind contemporary marine biology research.

This discovery, however modest it may seem on a planetary scale, perfectly illustrates why marine research continues to mobilize considerable resources, given how much of the ocean remains a largely unexplored scientific territory, despite the considerable, sustained technological progress made in recent decades in underwater imaging and remote sensing.

An invitation to protect still poorly understood habitats

Given these regular discoveries of new species, the need to protect coral reefs and shallow coastal areas appears more urgent than ever, since these fragile habitats hold a biodiversity that science is only just beginning to fully document, even before being able to fully measure its richness and its fragility in the face of growing human pressures and warming waters.

This new walking shark thus serves as a modest reminder that preserving marine ecosystems remains a major scientific and environmental priority for decades to come, in a context where every new discovery underscores just how incomplete our knowledge of the oceans still is, and how much of it still remains to be documented before it potentially disappears entirely unnoticed and unrecorded.

By Maxime Marquette, columnist

Sources

Primary sources

Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation — description of the new species — June 15, 2026

CSIRO — Australian marine research — 2026

Frontiers — scientific publications in marine biology — 2026

Secondary sources

CNEWS — researchers discover a new species of walking shark — July 1, 2026

National Geographic France — wildlife news — 2026

Futura Sciences — planet section — 2026