Celacanto, living fossil

1986/12/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Zoologia

Two Japanese researchers have managed to film two live fields. The first number of this living fossil, trapped in 1938, led to a small revolution. Based on the fossil record, they were considered to have disappeared in the secondary era.

In this case, two Japanese researchers captured two specimens of 60 and 65 kg at 300 m depth in the Comores Archipelago. In order to record the film they went up until 50 m. Unfortunately, the main characters of the film died in one day. The rays of the sun were the real cause of death. Keep in mind that these mystery fish live at 700 m of depth.

However, the researchers have not lost the hope that some Celacanto can survive in the laboratory. Being able to analyze it closely would help to better understand how the evolution towards amphibian progressed, forming part of a transition group between ground fishes and vertebrates.