Epaulette Shark - The Shark That Walks.

Epaulette shark, scientific name Hemiscyllium ocellatum, is a species of shark that inhabits the shallow waters of Australia and New Guinea. Compared to other sharks such as the great white, mako, whale, etc., the epaulette shark is pretty small with a length of just 1 metre. The body of the epaulette shark is covered by several black spots. Two large black spots with a white margin are present behind each pectoral fin. These two white-margined spots are the reason behind its name because they resemble epaulettes.

There seems to be nothing special about the epaulette shark until one finds out that this fish can walk using its pectoral and pelvic fins. Even though it is a good swimmer, it still prefers to walk. It walks on corals and also between tidal pools.

The ability to walk is not the only special ability it has. It can also survive in hypoxic conditions or even without oxygen. As already mentioned, the epaulette shark lives in shallow waters. When the tide gets low, these areas get exposed and tidal pools form. The tidal pools show a massive fluctuation in oxygen levels due to factors like temperature, salinity, the balance between photosynthesis and respiration of the animals in a tidal pool, etc. The epaulette shark is well adapted to survive in low levels of oxygen, at least for few hours. When the oxygen levels fall, the epaulette shark dilates its blood vessels to allow more blood flow to the brain and heart. It can also lower its metabolism and shut down certain non-essential brain functions. According to some studies, the epaulette shark can survive for up to three hours when the oxygen levels fall to 5% up to an hour without any oxygen.

Epaulette shark is also seen moving from one tidal pool to another using its pectoral fins in search of food as it feeds on crustaceans, polychaete worms and small fish which are trapped in tidal pools during low tides.