The Epaulette shark is a bottom dwelling shark that uses its paired fins to “walk” along the ocean floor, and even on land when necessary! Epaulette sharks accomplish this by swinging their pelvic and pectoral fins back and forth while bending their bodies. They can maintain this style of locomotion over long distances and it helps them get back to the ocean if they get stranded since they live in relatively shallow locations. These sharks are named after the large spots found behind each pectoral fin, which are similar to military epaulettes.
At-A-Glance
Scientific Name – Hemiscyllium ocellatum
Size – Typically, between 27-35in/70-90cm long. The longest Epaulette shark recorded was documented to be 42in/107cm long.
Habitat – Western Pacific Ocean particularly near New Guinea and northern Australia.
Diet: These bottom dwelling sharks use the sand and coral reefs as their main location to find their meal. Epaulette sharks typically like to feed on worms, crustaceans, and small fish; all of these can typically be found for feeding in the tidal pools or coral reef flats.
Reproduction – The reproductive season is from July to November. They are ovoviparous; fertilization occurs internally and they lay eggs. In general, they will lay 2 eggs in a sac every two weeks between August and December. The young sharks will hatch after around 130 days; the pups will be completely independent and be self-sufficient on their own.
Lifespan – 20-25 years.
IUCN Listing – Least concern.
Protection – Since the epaulette shark is not of great concern to the IUCN, there are not many protections placed on it; however, it is offered some protections by the Teluk Cendrawasih National Park in Indonesia.
Bet You Didn’t Know…
- The Epaulette shark can thrive in oxygen-depleted environments. They can selectively direct blood flow to certain areas of the body that are more essential for functioning and their nerves are designed to function in low oxygen circumstances; this creates greater feeding opportunities that other species do not have.
- Epaulette sharks can withstand much higher temperatures than most other shark species due to their adaptations for surviving in hypoxic (low-oxygen) environments.
- These sharks breathe through a process known as buccal pumping, where they pull water in through their mouths and push it out of the operculum, which is a series of bones near the front of the body that acts as a protective covering for the gills; this makes the water flow over its gills so they can absorb oxygen from the water.
Ready To Dive In?
- The Great Barrier Reef in Australia; Epaulette sharks can be seen throughout the year here but are more active from November-April since it is warmer.
- Raja Ampat, Indonesia; the best times for diving are the months of October-April.
- Madang, Papua New Guinea; the best times for diving are from October-March in this area due to better visibility and lower ocean currents.
Science In The Spotlight
The Epaulette shark is a bottom dwelling shark that uses its paired fins to walk along the ocean floor, and even on land when necessary! It has been found that many factors playing into the shark’s ability to move remain relatively consistent through the early life stages of the Epaulette shark.
coming soon
Take the quiz and test your new found knowledge.
Written by Greer Jessie, BS Undergraduate Student, University of Florida and Shark Angels Intern.
Photos provided by Lisa Anne, Papua Diving, Maxence Atzori, Kat Zhou, Jacinta Shackleton, Melissa Staines.