Epaulette Shark Shark Bites

My name's Steve Backshall.

Self-confessed shark-obsessed.

This is Shark Bites.

This time, we meet a shark with some sensational superpowers...

..the epaulette shark.

Measuring just a metre in length,

it may be small,

but it can do something extraordinary.

Unlike most sharks, it makes its home in shallow, tidal,

coral-rich waters...

..so its speckled skin helps it

blend in to the background.

Essential for a little fish that

sits on the menu of its larger neighbours.

So, with so much to contend with in an ever-changing environment,

how does this small shark survive?

They're only found in coastal waters off New Guinea and Australia.

And while the bigger, hungrier sharks are around...

..the epaulette does well to stay hidden.

But as the tide goes out,

the larger sharks are forced to deeper waters, leaving

the smaller epaulettes free run of the rock pools left behind...

..where they search the cracks

and crevices for their preferred prey of worms and crustaceans.

But the tide hasn't stopped, and the epaulette is left high and dry.

In order to breathe, all fish, including the sharks, need to

extract oxygen from the water.

But once the epaulette is on land, it needs to summon its superpower.

First, it slows down its heart rate,

and in turn, slows down the transfer of blood around the body.

Secondly, it dilates, or expands, its blood vessels.

This can reduce its blood pressure by as much as half.

And finally, and perhaps most impressively,

it reduces function to vital areas of its brain.

With all these things combined,

this amazing shark can cope without oxygen for over an hour.

And as if a fish out of water wasn't enough...

..this shark can walk.

Its flexible fins allow it to push itself over the coral.

So, if all else fails, it can walk to water.

The epaulette.

A truly talented, adaptable, and savvy shark...

..with some seriously sensational superpowers.