'Walking sharks' at greater risk of extinction than previously thought

New analysis of nine species that 'walk' by night on shallow reefs shows their range is much smaller than was known

Bizarre "walking sharks" are at a greater risk of extinction than previously thought, with new information about their distribution leading researchers to expect greater efforts to protect them from human threats such as fishing and climate change.

Bamboo sharks include nine species of sharks that swim and "walk" in shallow waters around northern Australia, Papua New Guinea and parts of Indonesia. In 2013 a new species of the genus was found in Indonesia.