in length and belonging to the Eulamia group. But in the open sea and at the mouths of great 

 rivers there are tiger-sharks, rightly feared by the natives, for their voracity is quite unrivalleil. 



We now come to a sea-dweller renowned beyond all others — the famous coelacanth (Lali- 

 meria chalnmnae ) . We know that Lalimeria is a large fish — it weighs more than 160 pounds — 

 with most interesting anatomical features and an unusual antiquity. It is a typical represen- 

 tative of the large archaic group of crossopterygians (" tassel-fins "), the ancestors of most 

 present-day vertebrates. Until recent years these (ishes were known only as fossils arising in the 

 Devonian period (as geologists call it) more than 300 million years ago. And they were believed 

 to have disappeared from the earth some tens of millions of years from the present time — 

 well before the appearance of the forms of life we see today. The discovery of a living represen- 

 tative is considered to be the most important event of the century in the realm of natural 

 history. 



Four years ago, in December 19.52, an unexpected gift arrived. One of these animals was 

 caught in the waters of the delightful island of Anjouan in the Comoro Archipelago. Profes- 

 sor Smith, the well-known South African specialist and the author of Latimeria was immediately 

 informed; he came after it in a special government aircraft, a trip that aroused keen interest 

 throughout the world. But there were no means on the Comoros for properly preserving the 

 fish and, despite his diligence, eventual scientific examination showed it to be badly spoiled 

 and practically unusable. 



But this Anjouan coelacanth could not be the only one. The fact of a chance capture 

 suggested that an organised search would result in others being found. Accordingly, a simple 

 but efTective fishing and }5reservation scheme was at once set up in the archipelago by the Insti- 

 tute for Scientific Research in Madagascar. This was magnificently supported by the French 

 Administration, while a gathering of local doctors and administrators freely gave their services. 

 The project was actively publicised among the local fishermen, each of whom received full, 

 useful instructions and the promise of large rewards. Drawings of the fish were displayed in 

 the villages; stocks of essential preservatives were provided, and means of rapid transport by 

 special air-mail secured. 



In less than two years, these measures, to which everyone gave devoted service, have resulted 

 in the sensational capture of nine well-preserved coelacanths, which have come from both 

 Anjouan and Grande Comore. And these incomparable zoological assets have enriched 

 international science. 



The interest in coelacanths does not reside in their beauty. They are heavy, bulky fishes 

 with a dark-blue colour shading into brown, and invested with large mucus-oozing scales. As 

 soon as decomposition sets in they exude unbelievable quantities of oil. 



First and foremost, their peculiar features are shown externally in their fins, which are 

 seven in number. The pectoral and pelvic fins make two pairs and there are three unpaired 

 fins; first dorsal, second dorsal and anal. Except for the first dorsal, all these fins are of a very 

 special type, being carried on stalks which are a real complex of parts and have no equivalent 

 in other fishes. Supported by their own skeleton they have an elaborate system of 

 muscles enabling them to take up a most varied series of positions and giving them an 

 exceptional range of movement. Hence the popular name " paw-fishes " sometimes given to 

 coelacanths. 



Internally, coelacanths show a complex of remarkable structural arrangements, some being 

 more remarkable than others in that they are only found in the embryos of other vertebrates. 

 Such are the persistence of an almost linear heart, the remains of a lung of large size, a hypo- 

 physis still connected to the roof of the mouth and an axial skeleton without vertebrae, being 

 entirely chordal and fibrous in nature. 



From a very general point of view, the unusual value of coelacanths is essentially based 

 on three grounds : 



(1) Their very great antiquity. They are by far the oldest of the vertebrates alive today, 

 and from this aspect alone are worth consideration as zoological curiosities. 



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