What Is a Coelacanth?

Coelacanth coelacanth, a collective term for some leaffin osteochondral fishes of the order Coelocanthi (Crossopterygii). The closely related but extinct species of Rhipidistia is considered the ancestor of terrestrial vertebrates. In some taxonomic systems, coelacanths and fanfins are considered to belong to different orders within the Crossopterygii. Coelacanth fishes first evolved and formed 377 million years ago, when they were extremely abundant on Earth. Coelacanthus fossils were found from the end of the Permian (295 million years ago) to the early Cretaceous (144 million years ago). Coelacanth, like other similar fish, has a lower degree of ossification and shows a general tendency to move away from the early freshwater environment and turn to the marine lifestyle. Coelacanth was thought to have been extinct about 60 million years ago, but in 1938 a live species, Latimeria chalumnae, was caught on a net near the coast of southern Africa. Under the solicitation of the reward, the second tail was caught in the Comoros Islands in 1952 (named Malania anjouanae, probably the same species as the surgeonfish). Later, several others were caught in this area. It was later discovered that this type of fish was already familiar to the islanders, whose meat was salted and dried to eat, and coarse scales were used as abrasives.

Coelacanthini is a bone fish. Once thought to have been extinct for 60 million years. Some live coelacanths were discovered after the latimeria chalumnae was found in the waters of southeastern Africa in 1938. The fish is heavy, 1.5 meters long. The head is short and the fins are limb-shaped. They can crawl on the ocean floor and feed on other fish. Order: Crossopterygii. ^[1]

Some conservation work on coelacanths has been implemented. For example, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

Coelacanth

(Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) order prohibits coelacanth trade. Now, a new conservation measure may soon be effective: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposed in early March this year that coelacanths were listed under the Endangered Species Act, ESA).

A fisherman in Indonesia has caught a coelacanth. This fish was an ancient fish of the dinosaur age and was once thought to be extinct.

"The coelacanths can only survive for about two hours once they leave the water where they live. However, the coelacanths caught by fishermen survived for 17 hours.

Before 1938, most scientists believed that coelacanths were extinct as early as 80 million years ago. It was not until 1938 that living coelacanths were found in South Africa. Since then, coelacanths have been called "living fossils of the dinosaur age."