The epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium ocellatum, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found in the western Pacific Ocean off Papua New Guinea and northern Australia, possibly occurring in Malaysia, Sumatra (Indonesia), and the Solomon Islands between latitudes 1° S and 26° S, to depths of 50 m. It is one of the 50 new species discovered during the recent CI-led surveys of the Bird's Head Seascape. This region has also been considered as the richest landscape on Earth



Epaulette sharks were named because of the two large round spots near their heads which looks like ornaments on uniforms.
They swim among coral reefs and have an odd way of moving around. They "walk" on their fins. Epaulette sharks can grow up to 1.2metres. They are usually found in shallow waters of coral reefs, or in tide pools. When hunting, they will walk on the bottom of the tide pool or feeding area in search of prey. They eat mussels, crabs and other sea creatures that live in the sand or on the sand.


Their reproduction are oviparous. Which means they are animals that lay eggs, with little or no other development within the mother. They are able to survive in aquariums too. They have the ability to survive in low oxygen conditions by switching off non-essential brain functions. This is an adaptation for hunting in tide-pools which contains low amounts of oxygen.

The seascape now faces increasing threats due to over fishing and also from fishing methods that use dynamites to destroy reefs. Pollution from land-based mining and logging operations also create problems in these areas. Therefore, the lives of these fishes are threatened.






http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epaulette_shark
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060918141606.htm
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/coral-triangle-reveals-walking-shark/2006/09/19/1158431710780.html
http://www.seadwelling.com/v-web/gallery/albums.php