Overview
- A team led by the University of the Sunshine Coast described Hemiscyllium dudgeonae after the first specimen was caught by Dr Christine Dudgeon during a night dive in March 2025.
- The species was formally described Monday in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation following DNA tests that showed it is genetically distinct from all other Hemiscyllium sharks.
- Researchers captured 12 individuals at three nearby sites, took tissue or blood samples from nine, and retained three specimens for detailed study.
- The shark is known only from a small area in Milne Bay and nearby islands and faces likely threats from coastal development, fishing pressure, and climate-driven coral decline, so teams plan further surveys in October to gather data for an IUCN assessment.
- Hemiscyllium dudgeonae is the tenth recorded walking shark and highlights how low mobility, small home ranges, and egg-laying reproduction drive local endemism and conservation risk in shallow New Guinea waters.