Hello my fellow curious critters and happy Finn Friday! To start off the new year, I thought we would dive in and check out some really cool, and cute, sharks. I don’t know about you guys, but I could definitely use some cute to soothe my soul after the insanity that was 2020. Today we are going to learn all about arguably the cutest shark ever, the Epaulette shark. They got their name because of the bold markings near their gills that are reminiscent of ornamental shoulder pieces found on clothing, especially military jackets, called epaulets. So hop on in, the water is fine, and let’s learn all about the Epaulette shark!
Where do they live?
Epaulette sharks are only found along the southern coast of New Guinea and the northern coast of Australia. They prefer to hang out in the warm, shallow waters of coral reefs but have been found at depths up to 164 feet (50 meters). You could also catch them hanging around in tide pools searching for a snack.
How long do they live?
Scientists believe they live approximately 20-25 years. Males reach maturity at around 21 inches (54 centimeters) while females reach maturity at around 24 inches (62 centimeters) in total length. The maximum length reported is 42 inches (107 centimeters).
What do they eat?
Epaulette sharks love to munch on little crustaceans (like crabs), small fish, and worms. While most sharks either swallow their prey whole or bite off large chunks that they then swallow whole, Epaulette sharks have been observed chewing their food! Scientists have observed them moving the food back and forth in their mouth while chewing until the food is finally perfect for swallowing.
What do they like to do?
Now, this is one of the coolest things about Epaulette sharks: they love to walk! That’s right! A shark that can walk! Epaulette sharks have a special adaptation in their pelvic and pectoral fins that allows them to use them to sort of waddle along between tide pools and around coral reefs. They can also swim, but are most often seen walking along the bottom.
During low tide, Epaulette sharks can sometimes become sort of trapped in the tide pools. Normally this would be a big problem for sharks, and other marine animals, due to low oxygen and an increase in temperature. Between their ability to walk between tide pools and an adaptation that allows them to survive in very little oxygen for around an hour at higher temperatures, this isn’t a problem for the Epaulette shark. When they find themselves in a low oxygen environment (oxygen levels can drop up to around 80% in tide pools compared to oxygen levels found in the ocean) they are able to shut off non-essential parts of their brain by slowing blood flow to those areas, slow their heart rate, and slow down their breathing.
Conservation Status:
The IUCN Red List has categorized the Epaulette shark as least concern and reports that their population is stable.
Thank you so much for coming along and learning with me today! I’m so glad to be back and sharing fun shark facts with you all again. Were you surprised to learn that there are sharks that can walk on land? I just love that there are so many different kinds of sharks that have so many different amazing skills. It means there is always something new and fun to learn about sharks! I hope I’ll see you all back here Monday for more science fun!
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