0:00:02 > 0:00:03My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:03 > 0:00:06Self-confessed shark-obsessed.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08This is Shark Bites.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14This time, we meet a shark with some sensational superpowers...
0:00:16 > 0:00:17..the epaulette shark.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Measuring just a metre in length,
0:00:19 > 0:00:20it may be small,
0:00:20 > 0:00:23but it can do something extraordinary.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30Unlike most sharks, it makes its home in shallow, tidal,
0:00:30 > 0:00:31coral-rich waters...
0:00:34 > 0:00:35..so its speckled skin helps it
0:00:35 > 0:00:37blend in to the background.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Essential for a little fish that
0:00:41 > 0:00:45sits on the menu of its larger neighbours.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49So, with so much to contend with in an ever-changing environment,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52how does this small shark survive?
0:00:52 > 0:00:56They're only found in coastal waters off New Guinea and Australia.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01And while the bigger, hungrier sharks are around...
0:01:02 > 0:01:05..the epaulette does well to stay hidden.
0:01:09 > 0:01:10But as the tide goes out,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14the larger sharks are forced to deeper waters, leaving
0:01:14 > 0:01:18the smaller epaulettes free run of the rock pools left behind...
0:01:19 > 0:01:21..where they search the cracks
0:01:21 > 0:01:24and crevices for their preferred prey of worms and crustaceans.
0:01:34 > 0:01:40But the tide hasn't stopped, and the epaulette is left high and dry.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48In order to breathe, all fish, including the sharks, need to
0:01:48 > 0:01:50extract oxygen from the water.
0:01:50 > 0:01:56But once the epaulette is on land, it needs to summon its superpower.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58First, it slows down its heart rate,
0:01:58 > 0:02:03and in turn, slows down the transfer of blood around the body.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Secondly, it dilates, or expands, its blood vessels.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11This can reduce its blood pressure by as much as half.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14And finally, and perhaps most impressively,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18it reduces function to vital areas of its brain.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20With all these things combined,
0:02:20 > 0:02:25this amazing shark can cope without oxygen for over an hour.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30And as if a fish out of water wasn't enough...
0:02:31 > 0:02:34..this shark can walk.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Its flexible fins allow it to push itself over the coral.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46So, if all else fails, it can walk to water.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50The epaulette.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55A truly talented, adaptable, and savvy shark...
0:02:55 > 0:02:58..with some seriously sensational superpowers.