New Walking Shark Found in Papua New Guinea Reefs

Hemiscyllium dudgeonae is the 10th known species of walking shark, all living off Australia and New Guinea.

It was first spotted on a night dive near Milne Bay in March 2025 and described in June 2026.

Walking sharks use their fins like legs and are the youngest sharks on Earth, evolving roughly 9 million years ago.

Their epaulette relatives can survive hours in near-zero oxygen, even out of water at low tide.

The new shark's tiny range puts it at real risk from coral bleaching, fishing and coastal development.