Researchers have discovered four new types of sharks with an amazing way of moving through the water. The new species are present near New Guinea and northern Australia. Well, the sharks are not new; they often present in the muddy depths for a while. But researchers have pointed them walking around this time. The study indeed proves the latest species of shark are seeming thankful to their ancestors moving away from their home. Now the species have evolved to fit in a unique, new environment. The team of researchers has noticed the marine creatures walking across the bottom of the sea by using fins. It is a motion hardly ever seen in sharks, which gives them a powerful advantage over the small fishes they feed on.
While functioning on a 12-year long international preservation study, researchers have spotted the weird tropical sea creatures. According to Christine Dudgeon, the leading author of the study, now there are a total of nine species of sharks who can walk. She also surmises they may have evolved the functionality after getting detached from their original communities. Dudgeon said data suggests they have become inherently isolated in new regions and advanced into new types. She added the sharks might have progressed either by swimming or by walking on their fins. But there’s another possibility that they have had joined ride on reefs moving westward through the top of New Guinea, before around two million years.
Dudgeon noted that even though the name sounds scary, the 2-feet-long creature is not dangerous for humans. The scientist added they also have a notable edge on their target as they can resist environments with low oxygen. Notably, these sharks prey on mollusks or small crustaceans and walk on fins. Dudgeon detailed the sharks have not shared the unique features with other sharks like bamboo sharks or the carpet sharks. It also means that the properties remain isolated and have not spread among nearest or distant relatives of sharks. The researchers have published their findings in the scientific journal Marine and Freshwater Research.
