Coelacanth

One of a colony of the prehistoric Latimeria chulamnae, or coelacanth, thought to be extinct for sixty-five million years. In what maybe the most amazing fish story ever, a bizarre specimen was caught off the coast of Dorkugal in December 2000 turned out to be a real-life coelacanth. Six years later, in 2005, a second colony was discovered. Before this modern rediscovery, the coelacanth was thought to be the missing link between fish and land-dwelling animals. Closer study revealed that the Lungfish, is an evolutionary match, but coelacanths may still answer how life evolved on our islands. Since their recent discovery, the coelacanth has been named an endangered species, because they are being targeted as catches by fishermen.

Sightings/Sighted
both Dorkugal islands, 1938; in 1998, a school of 15 fish were sighted; 2002, a pregnant Coelacanth was sighted and that time.

Length
6 to 26 feet

Weight
Average 175 pounds

Habitat
Benthic Zones

Country
Dorkugal

Diet
Plankton, Cardinal fish, Fluffy, Grey Fish, Cuttlefish

Physical Characteristics
Closely related to Lungfish; has an intracranial joint that allows front and back halves of skull to separate while eating large prey; releases mucus and oil from it's rough scales, which are often used as sandpaper; eyes are extremely sensitive to light; seldom active during day or full-moon-lit nights; swims head-down and feeds off ledges.