Hemiscyllium dudgeonae is a species of carpet shark in the bamboo shark family, endemic to the waters of southeastern Papua New Guinea.
Commonly called Dudgeon’s walking shark, this species belongs to a group known for their unusual ability to use their pectoral and pelvic fins to “walk” across the seafloor and between shallow coral pools. The shark is named after Christine Dudgeon, a researcher at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, who has contributed significantly to the study of walking sharks. Like other members of its genus, H. dudgeonae inhabits shallow reef environments where its ambulatory locomotion proves particularly advantageous for navigating complex coral structures at low tide. The species is considered highly threatened, facing pressures common to sharks restricted to limited coastal ranges in a region experiencing significant environmental change.
