Hard to believe, but here a baby shark is actually taking its first steps. These predatory fish are also called “walking sharks”. They belong to the epaulette sharks, live in reefs off the coast of Australia and have a special ability for fish: they can walk on the sea floor with their front and rear fins. Not only that, they come ashore at low tide and march out of the water through the tidal pools of the reefs. They scour them for small fish, crabs or mussels. They can stay on land for over an hour. Even the baby sharks of this species can move over land and through the sea.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and James Cook University in Townsville, Australia, have now examined how the shape of baby epaulette sharks affects their walking behavior. The young sharks have a yolk sac on their belly, which varies in size depending on their age and environmental conditions. In their study, the scientists found that the movements of the young fish are not affected by the shape of this yolk sac.
Epaulette sharks are also of interest to biologists because they can provide insight into the ability of sea creatures to adapt to climate change. Evolutionary biological questions can also be answered by observing sharks:
“Further investigation into the aquatic and terrestrial gaits used by this species may provide insight into the evolution of in and out of water locomotion,” the biologists write in the study.
These steps of the baby sharks are not only cute to look at, they still hold many secrets for the scientists.