A particular species of shark has learned how to walk on land in what Interesting Engineering reported as an evolutionary step brought about by climate change. While these tiny epaulette sharks will likely not be inspiring a horrifying, land-walking “Jaws” reboot any time soon, the phenomenon has still captured the fascination of scientists at Florida Atlantic University and Australia’s James Cook University.
The “walking shark” even caught a moment in the spotlight on National Geographic’s “Shark Attack Files,” which can be seen in the video featured below.
Land walking is a more recent trend for the epaulette sharks, as only younger members of the species have been recorded doing it. Utilizing their fins as leg-like appendages, the sharks search for prey in reef regions where other sharks can not tread.
While the sharks are known to only feed on aquatic animals, they can hold their breath for roughly two hours. During a study by a team from Florida Atlantic University and Australia’s James Cook University, researchers noticed that some of the sharks used their fins to walk up to 30 meters on dry land.
The study said “such locomotor traits may not only be key to survival but also may be related to their sustained physiological performance under challenging environmental conditions, including those associated with climate change.”
In total, at least nine different shark species can use their fins to walk on land. They are within the epaulette shark’s Hemiscyllium genus.
