Researchers have nearly doubled the number of known species of the fascinating 'walking shark', which stalks the shallows of northern Australia and New Guinea
Dr Christine Dudgeon from the University of Queensland said the sharks were identified as part of a 12-year study into their unusual method of hunting.
This means the sharks walk through the shallow water of the reef flat and even lift themselves entirely out of the water to move between shallow pools at low tide. Scientists previously believed the epaulette shark was the primary species of walking shark across the region, with four species identified.
But she reassured those who were worried that the sharks were unlikely to be any longer than a metre, putting to rest visions of great white-sized terrors lurching from the surf onto the nation's beaches.
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