Tenth Walking Shark Species Identified in Papua New Guinea

Researchers have identified Hemiscyllium dudgeonae as the tenth recorded species of walking shark in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. The species uses its pectoral fins to move across reef flats at low tide, a trait shared with other members of the genus Hemiscyllium that occur only in Australia and New Guinea.

Christine Dudgeon of the University of the Sunshine Coast first encountered the shark after midnight in March 2025 while swimming in one metre of water over seagrass.

The individual measured nearly three-quarters of a metre long. Dudgeon secured it with a flip-and-tuck technique before handing it to colleague Jess Blakeway on a nearby boat. Over the following days the team collected 11 additional individuals at three nearby sites.

Three sharks were retained for study and nine received tissue samples before release. Laboratory DNA tests established that the sharks were genetically distinct from the nine previously known species in the genus. @NewScientist reported that locals refer to the shark as kadedekedewa, meaning dog shark or lazy shark.

The species is believed to inhabit only the coral reefs of Milne Bay. Coastal development, palm oil plantation expansion and coral bleaching threaten those reefs. Researchers assess H. dudgeonae as probably the most endangered species in its genus.

Blakeway stated that the species adds to Papua New Guinea’s extraordinary biodiversity yet faces local extinction without urgent conservation action. 20575429. All nine previously known walking shark species feed on small seafloor invertebrates and share similar body size and shape.