Four new species of tropical shark that use their fins to walk across the sea floor have been discovered off the coasts of northern Australia and New Guinea, over the course of a 12-year study. The sharks pose no threat to humans, preying upon small fish and invertebrates in the shallow waters.
The sharks walk using their pectoral and pelvic fins, which allows them to forage for food under rocks and coral.
Genetic research revealed that walking sharks are the most recently evolved sharks on the planet, branching off “from their nearest ancestor about 9 million years ago,” one of the researchers said.
The study was carried out by Conservation International alongside the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Florida Museum of Natural History, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences and Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affair and Fisheries. (REUTERS)
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