WALK THIS WAAAAAAY .. to learn about the walking shark, otherwise known as the Epaulette shark!
FAMILY: Hemiscylliidae
The Epaulette Shark is a shark belonging to the family Hemiscylliidae, which are collectively called the Longtail Carpet Sharks.
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Hemiscyllium ocellatum
COMMON NAMES: Blind Shark, Epaulette Shark, Walking Shark and Itar shark
This species was named for (and can be told apart from others in its family by) the large white-ringed black spot on behind the pectoral fin which resemble ornamental epaulettes on a military uniform.
TYPE: Fish
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (assessed 2015)
SIZE:
This species usually grows to 24–27 inches long, but can reach a maximum of about 3.5 ft.
Interestingly, after hatching their growth rate is slow (pups measure about 6 inches in length when born) but after three months of age, epaulettes grow at a rate of around 5 cm per year.
DID YOU KNOW:
Juvenile epaulettes have darker brown "saddles" or crossbands along their back and tail, which fade and turn into spots as they reach maturity.
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN:
These sharks live 20-25 years and reach sexual maturity around 7 years old.
At maturity, Epaulettes measure over 2 ft in length and are oviparous, meaning they reproduce by laying eggs. The developing shark pup is sustained via yolk sac within a 10cm long by 4cm wide egg capsule that its mother secures on the seafloor at the time it's laid with fibrous strands that help the egg stay in place. If all goes well, the eggs will hatch between 120-130 days.
Mating in the wild occurs between July and November, with females carrying egg cases between August and December. Female epaulettes deposit their egg capsules under cover of night and are capable of producing up to 50 eggs a year- although typically two are produced at a time and closer to 20 potential young per year.
In captivity, these sharks are reported to breed continuously which is a reason why they are a popular display species in aquariums.
DISTRIBUTION:
Epaulettes are endemic to (found only in) Australia and New Guinea. They occur within the Great Barrier Reef from about the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula to the southern extremity of the Great Barrier Reef at the Capricorn Group.
This shark is a bottom-dwelling species preferring warm, shallow water coral reef habitats up to 40m (131ft.) where they are well camouflaged amongst reef rock and sand. This shark is also commonly seen ‘walking’ along the sea floor, as well as tide pool areas, in search of prey.
DID YOU KNOW:
The Epaulette Shark is protected in parts of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Queensland and Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia.
DIET:
Epaulettes use their small triangular teeth to crush hard shelled prey found as it sweeps the seafloor. Their specialized olfactory (sense of smell) and electro-receptive (ability to detect naturally occurring electrostatic fields in the environment) senses help them locate prey hiding within the substrate which can be swallowed while sand or other detritus is expelled from their gill slits.
These sharks are most active at dawn and dusk, at low tides, and at night when prey is easier to find, but as an opportunistic foraging shark it can feed any time of day. Epaulettes prey on polychaete worms, crabs, small bony fish, and shrimps.
As mentioned above, this species often forages for prey in tidal pools despite the risk of being stranded above water.
CONSERVATION:
These sharks are generally docile and easy to approach; they are considered harmless to humans although they may bite if handled.
Despite their 'least concern' IUCN status, in waters off Papua New Guinea habitat destruction, over-fishing and damaging fishing practices have pushed the species to a “Near Threatened” state.
Additionally, the impacts of climate change could impact the epaulette's ability to forage in hypoxic environments as well as the development of their embryos which can quickly lead to population decline. As climate change continues to cause the oceans to warm, baby sharks are born undernourished, exhausted into environments that are increasingly difficult for them to survive in.
Currently, there is no interest to commercial or recreational fisheries at this time for this shark and in Australia the habitat of this species is largely protected in Marine Protected Areas. However, around New Guinea these sharks are threatened by overfishing, destructive fishing practices and habitat modification, including the damage and destruction of coral reefs from dynamite fishing and pollution.
For epaulette sharks as well as their habitats, it is vital to support, advocate and organize for more marine protected areas across the world. MPAs are needed to not only offer safety for sharks like the epaulette but offer stable ecosystems for coastal communities, boost local economies and help overall ocean health.
In addition to climate change and habitat destruction concerns, these sharks are taken for the aquarium industry. Since these sharks readily acclimatize to captivity and have been observed to breed in local aquaria they are taken for display in public and private facilities across the US, Canada, and Australia.
Since they are taken in small numbers, the collection rate for the aquarium trade is not considered to be a threat to the species as of now.
Check out more in-depth information about
this species with below source links and organizations!
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