A new research study shares the first photos ever taken of an adult west Indian Ocean coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae), also known as a “dinosaur fish,” in its natural habitat. And here’s the kicker, not too long ago, scientists thought this fish was extinct. Even after the scientific community found evidence these ancient fish were still alive, very few of these coelacanths had been observed alive.
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“Coelacanths are arguably one of the most emblematic and evolutionarily-important of the marine vertebrates,” wrote the authors in their study. This is because the species is incredibly old. In fact, it’s known from fossils dating back more than 400 million years.
There are two species of coelacanths, the west Indian Ocean coelacanth and the Sulawesi coelacanth (L. menadoensis). Though both are enigmatic, researchers say the west Indian Ocean coelacanth is the more elusive of the two species. This is due to “the difficulty of reaching the deep-reef habitats it lives in.”
Deep divers were recently able to reach the habitat, though, and find (and photograph!) one of these rare fish. Scientists will use the divers’ observations and photos to learn more about the species and how it has survived on Earth for so long.
See the “dinosaur fish” here, and scroll to the bottom for a link to the rest of the images:
Read the full study and see all the photos here.
Header image by Citron / CC BY-SA 3.0