The Discovery Of Walking Sharks
Sharks have inhabited our waters for millions of years. These are animals known to mankind since it began to navigate the sea, but despite this some species have only recently been discovered. One of the most extraordinary is that of the walking sharks.
Even if we might think that there are no more animals to discover, the biodiversity of planet Earth does not stop surprising us. In fact, it is estimated that around 86% of terrestrial species and 91% of marine species remain to be discovered. Little is known about the latter as our oceans are largely unexplored.
The discovery of walking sharks is therefore even more surprising; the species have been found in the waters of New Guinea, northern Australia and eastern Indonesia.
All these species belong to the genus Hemiscyllium , a family of tropical sharks that live in shallow waters and never leave the coral reef.
Why are they called ‘walkers’?
The newly discovered species rests its fins on the rocky bottom of tropical waters to “walk”. Observing them, it is clear that the movement is more reminiscent of a walk than the movement of swimming.
The walkers sharks s the move by exploiting the pectoral fins together front to the rear ventral fins. This way they move slowly and heavily around the seabed and even surfacing from the reef at low tide.
This type of movement gives them an advantage over their prey during the tide, allowing them to become the reef’s main predator.
Characteristics of walking sharks
This type of shark is small in size, about one meter in length, and has a thin, cylindrical body, long tail and ventral mouth. These species are distinguished by the patterns present on their coat, with white and black dots in the dorsal region.
Their ability to move in this way and to survive in low oxygen environments makes them excellent predators, even if they are totally harmless to humans. Attacking them is not absolutely necessary.
The evolution of walking sharks
Sharks are one of those animal species that appear to be anchored in time, having changed little over the past 400 million years. For this reason, discovering a new species was an absolutely unique event.
The explanation can be given by the fact that they are relegated to tropical waters, where they live all their life without ever straying too far from the place where they lay their eggs.
It is believed that the species of sharks walkers have developed after the Sharks moved away from the original population separating itself genetically in new areas, only to give rise to new species after millions of years of evolution.
The main threats to walking sharks
This genus of sharks has been placed in the category of vulnerable animals according to the Red List of Threatened Species, although in reality not much is known about their situation and even less about their biology.
Intensive fishing and trapping to be sold as aquarium fish are the main threats to the new species. On the other hand, climate change and the consequent destruction of their habitat are factors of great risk for their conservation.
The destruction of their habitat risks damaging them enormously, since some species are limited to very small areas and are indigenous to the place.
It is essential to invest in the conservation of the biodiversity we know today (and of what remains to be discovered) in order to continue studying and admiring animals in their natural habitat. Biodiversity enriches our planet.
