There are a few species of ‘walking’ fish, but did you know there was a walking shark? Read on…
Did you know Australian waters are home to a walking shark? The epaulette shark walks on its paddle-shaped fins both in and out of the water.
The epaulette shark can also swim to make a fast getaway, but as often as not it gets about by clambering over the seabed.
It is also an unusual coral-reef shark, because it can survive in warm, oxygen-poor pools at low tide. It conserves oxygen by shutting down its motor nerve system but leaving its sensory nerves alert to detect predators.
It dilates its blood vessels, which lowers its blood pressure by as much as half, and pumps more blood to the brain and the heart itself. With these adaptations it can survive in very-low-oxygen conditions until the tide rises and oxygen-rich water floods its pool once more.
Discover other walking fish and weird fish – and speaking of walking do you know there’s a walking tree – sort of
Read more fascinating shark facts
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- What’s the fastest shark in the world?
- Meet the swell shark, a marvel of self-inflation
- Bonnethead sharks: the shark that gives birth without having sex