A coelacanth in its native environment

I’ve just finished an interesting book, “A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth,” by Samantha Weinberg. I’ve always been mildly interested by the coelacanth  – how can you not be interested by a creature thatb first appeared some 400 million years ago, and has barely changed in that time even as the world has changed beyond recognition? – but that was the degree of my interest, mild. This book has changed that, however.

This book opens up the world of a beautiful, unique fish. First of all it’s a living fossil, probably just about the oldest creature in existence, which means not only is it immensely valuable to science, because it can tell us a lot about prehistoric creatures, but to humanity in general because, let’s face it, such an amazing creature can only boraden your horizons and experiences. This is a fish that lives in underwater caves, a fish without a backbone or the usual internal arrangements, whose gills are like jawbones complete with teeth-like combing things because that’s how they evolved, a fish that,  mysteriously but rather charmingly, every now and then likes to turn nose-down and stand on it’s head.

(Check out a video of a coelacanth turning to stand on its head here.)

How can you not like a fish that does that? The species of coelacanth that lives in the Comorros (as opposed to the Indonesian type, which is brown but covered with glittery gold speckles)  is a lovely silvery-blue with white splodges, and large eyes that reflect the light. Watch a video of it and it moves gracefully like a dancer, fins moving with their diagonally-opposite number.

I love this fish now, and I hope other people will leanr more and come to feel the same way. It is a beautiful, unique, invaluable fish. Let’s hope it’s around for a long time to come.