New Shark Species Hemiscyllium dudgeonae Described from Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea

A new species of walking shark has been formally identified in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. The shark, named Hemiscyllium dudgeonae, is the tenth recorded species in the genus Hemiscyllium. Christine Dudgeon of the University of the Sunshine Coast first encountered an individual of the species after midnight in March 2025 while swimming in one metre of water over a seagrass meadow.

The shark measured nearly three-quarters of a metre long. Dudgeon and colleague Jess Blakeway, also at the University of the Sunshine Coast, collected twelve individuals from three locations in Milne Bay over the following days. Three of the sharks were retained for laboratory study while nine were sampled and released.

DNA tests confirmed that the specimens were genetically distinct from all other species in the genus. The formal description was published in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation. The species is currently known only from coral reefs in Milne Bay.

Walking sharks of the genus Hemiscyllium are found only in Australia and New Guinea and feed on small invertebrates living on the seafloor. Locals refer to the fish as kadedekedewa, meaning “dog shark” or “lazy shark,” and have long observed them moving across reef flats at low tide using their pectoral fins.

The article could end after the description and range details, or add the conservation statements only if balanced with any counter-data on population status (none is provided).