IMAG's epaulette shark Paulette gives us a wonderful view of her gills hard at work! All animals consume oxygen: it's part of what distinguishes our kingdom from the plant kingdom. However, unlike us air-breathers, fish such as sharks must get their oxygen out of the water. They do this with their gills: many thin blood vessels run through the body under their gill slits, and as the gills pump water over these vessels, the wide surface area for gas exchange allows them to take up dissolved oxyge

Did you know? Epaulette sharks, also known as walking sharks, can walk on land using their well-developed fins! If you consider the environments that these sharks live in, which are shallow, narrow coral reef systems, it's easy to see how the ability to walk would benefit them. Evolutionary changes to their pectoral and pelvic fins have increased their strength and range of motion, so that they can navigate cracks and crevices and crannies to sniff out favorite foods like shellfish, worms, and s