A fish believed to be near extinct was found by shark fishermen off the coast of Madagascar. The coelacanth, with a history going back 420 million years ago, is referred to as the “four legged fossil fish” and is alive and well in the Indian Ocean.
“Demand for shark fins and oil has led fishers in southwestern Madagascar to set gill-nets in deeper waters. They are finding — and possibly harming — previously-unknown populations of these West Indian Ocean coelacanths.” warns Mongabay News.
Scientists believed coelacanths went extinct about 66 million years ago, until a living specimen was found in 1938 off the coast of South Africa.
Shark fishermen’s deep-set gillnets (jarifa) “are able to reach where coelacanths gather, about 328 to 492 feet (100 m to 150 m) below the water's surface.” And coelacanths are found in “undersea canyons at depths between 100 and 500 metres.”
Coelacanths “belong to an ancient group of fishes whose origins can be traced back 420 million years.
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“Demand for shark fins and oil has led fishers in southwestern Madagascar to set gill-nets in deeper waters. They are finding — and possibly harming — previously-unknown populations of these West Indian Ocean coelacanths.” warns Mongabay News.
Scientists believed coelacanths went extinct about 66 million years ago, until a living specimen was found in 1938 off the coast of South Africa.
Since then, there have been more incidents of the coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) getting caught off the coastlines of South Africa, Tanzania, and the Comoros Islands.
There is also “a different coelacanth species turned up in Indonesian waters as Latimeria menadoensis.
There is also “a different coelacanth species turned up in Indonesian waters as Latimeria menadoensis.
Shark fishermen’s deep-set gillnets (jarifa) “are able to reach where coelacanths gather, about 328 to 492 feet (100 m to 150 m) below the water's surface.” And coelacanths are found in “undersea canyons at depths between 100 and 500 metres.”
Coelacanths “belong to an ancient group of fishes whose origins can be traced back 420 million years.
They have eight fins, large eyes and a small mouth, and a unique pattern of white spots allowing each fish to be individually identified.
They weigh up to 90 kilogrammes and give birth to live young after a gestation period of 36 months,”
The uniqueness of the "four-legged living fossil" is its paired lobe fins extending away from its body like human legs alternating pattern similar to a trotting horse.
The uniqueness of the "four-legged living fossil" is its paired lobe fins extending away from its body like human legs alternating pattern similar to a trotting horse.
“Some fishermen from St Augustin used to bring them directly to the institute and ask for high prices. At the beginning we bought them at a high price but now we have about five or seven specimens and we don’t want to buy any more as that would incentivise fishermen.” said Paubert Tsimanaoraty Mahatante, a marine researcher with the Madagascan government’s Institute of Fisheries and Marine Science (IHSM).
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