The shark that walks: The bamboo shark or longtail carpet shark

Hemiscyllium halmahera, a newly-found species of bamboo shark or longtail carpet shark, has a rather unusual way of getting around — perhaps not unusual for land animals like us, but definitely unusual for a shark: it walks.

Pectoral and pelvic fins are moving this 28 inch (70 cm) marine animal across the underwater terrain (in this case, coral) off the coast of Ternate, one of the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. They were recently discovered by a team lead by Dr Gerald Allen, a research associate at the Western Australian Museum.

The waters near Indonesia have some fascinating things going on. Have you seen the mimic octopus, the ribbon fish, or the sea’s strangest square mile? 

via @Sci_Phile.

Updated video.