WHAT IS: A COELACANTH The Coelacanth is a type of remarkable fish, quite unique in the fact that its first appearance on earth in recorded fossils was during the devonian period three hundred and fifty million years ago. It was thought to be extinct but in 1938 a coelacanth had been found alive and relatively unchanged in modern times. The coelacanth can grow up five feet and weight about hundred and fifty pounds. The coelacanth lives virtually on the rocky ocean floor somewhere between four hundred and fifty feet to seven hundred and fifty feet under the water. The Coelacanth, a fish that was reputed to have died out seventy million years ago has the unique distinction of being the world's oldest living creature. Predating even the dinosaurs by almost two hundred million years. This aquatic ancestor of all land animals has gained much attention focused on their fins in the hope to learn more about how fins became limbs - how fish became man. The Coelacanth is thought to be the direct descendants of coelacanthos and coelacantherine. Unfortunately these children of Coelancanthus hate people with a fervent passion for their ignorance and endless carnage. Rightly so but it does make it difficult for us to venerate them because they want to bite all our fingers off and so we admire them from a great distance. |