Introducing Hemiscyllium halmahera: The Walking Shark of Eastern Indonesia

  • Thread starter thorium1010
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In summary, the new species of shark that walks along the seabed using its fins as tiny legs has been discovered in eastern Indonesia. It is relatively small and reaches 28 inches in length.
  • #1
thorium1010
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A new species of shark that "walks" along the seabed using its fins as tiny legs has been discovered in eastern Indonesia, an environmental group said Friday.

http://phys.org/news/2013-08-shark-indonesia.html

‘Walking’ sharks, also known as bamboo sharks or longtail carpet sharks, belong to the family Hemiscylliidae in the shark order Orectolobiformes.Rather than swim, these slender-bodied sharks ‘walk’ by wriggling their bodies and pushing with their pectoral and pelvic fins.
They are relatively small, with the largest species measuring about 48 inches (1.22 m). The newly discovered species, called Hemiscyllium halmahera, reaches 28 inches (70 cm) in length.

http://www.sci-news.com/biology/science-hemiscyllium-halmahera-new-species-walking-shark-indonesia-01335.html

There's a video included in the second link.
 
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  • #2
Strange, looks pretty clumsy.
 
  • #3
It is clumpsy , atleast it does not use limbs rather fins to achieve the goal. Its quiet interesting to see fins used the same way (movement) certain lizards use their legs.
 
  • #4
I find this interesting because the evolution of limbs would require a neural control system that knew how to use them appropriately, and here we see an example of a neural control system ready and waiting for the morphology. As thorium says, the motion does look similar to some species of amphibian/reptilian gait.
 
  • #5
I see your point, and I agree it is interesting.

Still, it looks clumsy and I don't see in what way it is beneficial (obviously somehow it is).
 
  • #6
Me either, but it doesn't need to be beneficial; it could just be a spandrel. Or is there evidence that it was selected for?
 
  • #7
Question is why would it need to be beneficial? Too long it has been drilled into our heads that many traits have to be beneficial to survive in our environment. Maybe this trait was just an accident or has little benefit to the organism or it rarely uses this trait, we do not know. There are many areas in the field of biology, that does not make sense. It is our ingrained sense to see usefulness in a particular thing, probably biases our understanding of traits and survival of organism.
 
  • #8
Perhaps you are right - it doesn't have to be beneficial.

My line of thinking was that there are at least several species of sharks living and feeding on the bottom, and I have never heard about any of them behaving this way - as far as I know, they all swim (compare - there is both a walking bamboo shark and a swimming houndshark). For me that suggests bamboo sharks behave this way for a reason. It is not clear to me how close to the surface they live - would they feed in the intertidal zone (breakers, strong currents), these fins would make a great sucker to keep the fish safe on the bottom, and then the motion could be a spandrel as Pythagorean suggested. But I am under impression they live slightly deeper, where swimming is enough. Another explanation could be that they do use fins as sucker as part of their feeding strategy - say to create a stable base for pulling food from between the rocks.

But now I am speculating and I should ban myself.
 
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  • #9
It is really cute!

Sorry if that wasn't a scientific comment. :biggrin:
 

1. What is a walking shark?

A walking shark is a type of shark that has evolved to use its pectoral and pelvic fins to "walk" along the ocean floor. It is also known as a bamboo shark or epaulette shark.

2. How do walking sharks walk?

Walking sharks use their pectoral and pelvic fins to push themselves along the ocean floor, similar to how land animals use their legs to walk. They also use their tails to help propel themselves forward.

3. Where can walking sharks be found?

Walking sharks are primarily found in the shallow waters of the Indo-Pacific region, specifically in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and northern Australia.

4. What do walking sharks eat?

Walking sharks primarily feed on small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. They use their small, pointed teeth to crush shells and prey on the ocean floor.

5. Are walking sharks dangerous to humans?

No, walking sharks are not considered dangerous to humans. They are small in size, typically less than 3 feet long, and are not known to attack humans. They are also not commonly encountered by divers as they primarily inhabit shallow waters.

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