242 



will almost certainly have a greater chance of survival even at normal 

 pressure. 



*It is doubtful whether the view about decompression or small 

 variation in temperature is tenable, since after being hauled to the 

 surface in a trawl-net near East London the first Coelacanth lived 

 for more than three hours, out of the water, on the deck of a trawler 

 on an unusually warm day. 



*It is interesting to note that the French used a boat as an im- 

 provised aquarium. At a meeting in Nairobi in October 1953 I sug- 

 gested using a decked boat, since it seemed likely that an important 

 factor in survival would be to shield the fish from shocks until such 

 time as it could become accustomed to a new environment. An open 

 whaler, however, was used at Mutsamudu so that the fish had a clear 

 view. We are told that "Throughout the night — ^which the delighted 

 population of Mutsamudu passed in singing and dancing to celebrate 

 the capture — the Coelacanth was watched over with admirable care", 

 by officials, doubtless with constantly flashing torches, and only those 

 who have experienced a night such as is indicated can have any idea 

 of the noise and lights. That poor live Coelacanth at Mutsamudu must 

 have passed the night in a state of high nervous tension. 



'What the French considered "Photophobia" on the part of the 

 Coelacanth is in my view no more than the natural uneasiness that any 

 large and intelligent fish would experience as unfamiliar surroundings 

 and objects become increasingly obvious from dawn. 



*The "luminescence" of the eyes of the live Coelacanth is interesting. 

 This phenomenon is, however, quite common in sharks and other large 

 fishes of shallow waters, and on this night there was bright moonlight. 



Tt is a notable feature of the reports that the depth to a metre at 

 which each Coelacanth was caught has been stated. As all of these 

 were apparently taken by natives fishing from drifting canoes at night, 

 and the slope of the bottom offshore at the Comores is stated to be at 

 least 50°, it would be of general interest to know how this high order of 

 accuracy is achieved. 



*In the matter of the first egg-bearing female Coelacanth, it is a 

 strange coincidence that this was captured by one of the crew of Cap- 

 tain Hunt's* vessel, only a short distance from where this was anchored. 

 The fish was apparently cut open and seen to contain a cluster of eggs 

 at all stages of development "such as is observed in a chicken" or in 

 oviparous sharks. We may therefore expect Coelacanths to have egg- 

 cases like those of Elasmobranchs.* 



• It was Captain Hunt who took our Coelacanth leaflets to the Comores 

 which resulted in the discovery of Malania there (see Chapters Eight and 

 Thirteen). 



