Latest coelacanth discovery!
Coelacanth finds in several locations in Africa in the past three weeks have
kept scientists and conservationists on the hop in a bid to save specimens for
research into this ancient fish.
Earlier this month a coelacanth was caught off southern Tanzania at Songa
Mnara Island, followed by a catch off Moheli in the Comoros and then just a day
later, another in Hahaya, north of Grand Comoro.
The finds extend the known habitat range of this fish. Coelacanths have never
been found at Moheli and the only previous capture off Tanzania was an
unconfirmed one at Mafia Island.
The fish found in Tanzania was caught by a local fishermen in a net in just
100m depth of water according to South African James Taylor. Taylor was visiting
the island when he recognized the fish amongst many on the island left out to
sundry. The fish had already been cut with all its insides thrown away. Mr
Rumisha, manager of the Marine Parks and Reserves Tanzania and colleague, Prof.
Bwathondi positively identified the fish and worked around the clock to try and
preserve the specimen. According to Taylor the fish was 132cm and without its
insides weighed 22kg.
The coelacanth finds follow almost immediately the NEPAD research and
reconnaissance visit of the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme to
Mozambique, Tanzania, Comoros and Madagascar. The discoveries in those areas are
thus prompting scientists, including ACEP project manager, Dr Tony Ribbink, to
speculate whether the finds are coincidence, a response to heightened awareness,
or simply that the discoveries are now reported to the ACEP instead of going
unrecorded.
Coelacanth expert Robin Stobbs agrees, "Yes, I know we're going to see
them [coelacanths] popping up all over the western Indian Ocean now that the
fish itself is becoming better known and as fishing habits, techniques and
equipment change."
"What is clear is that in no instance were the catches due to increased
effort or specific targeting of coelacanths," says Ribbink.
The discovery of coelacanths in the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park in South
Africa at the end of 2000 by recreational divers, Pieter Venter and team,
catalysed the development of the multinational African Coelacanth Ecosystem
Programme. The programme was initiated in March 2002 with a successful
expedition using the FRS Algoa and the German submersible Jago and now includes
several African countries. Bwathondi and Rumisha who collected the coelacanth
found off Tanzania are both with the Tanzanian Management committee of ACEP.
The coelacanth has a long history in Southern Africa. It became known to
science in 1938 thanks to Capt. Hendrik Goosen, Majorie Courtenay Latimer and
Prof JLB Smith. Since that eventful find, coelacanths have been found in several
locations off the western Indian Ocean. No doubt this is just the beginning.
For more on the coelacanth programme, see http://www.ru.ac.za/affiliates/coelacanth//
Links to information on coelacanths at this site:
LINK Deep
down under: the coelacanth programme off to a great start
LINK What do we know about the coelacanths - behaviour, habitat
LINK South
African coelacanth discovery in Sodwana Bay
LINK
South Africa announces plans for Coelacanth Programme
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