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Posted on 04/30/2025 9:38:12 AM PDT by nickcarraway
A rare “dinosaur fish,” once believed to have disappeared 70 million years ago, has been filmed in the wild by divers in the Indonesian archipelago. The Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis) was captured on camera in its natural habitat, marking a breakthrough for marine exploration.
The discovery was made in October 2024 during a deep-sea mission led by Alexis Chappuis of UNSEEN Expeditions. Using special breathing equipment, Chappuis and fellow diver Alexandre Leblond descended to 152 meters along a volcanic slope in the Maluku Islands, where they spotted the elusive creature at a depth of 144 meters.
Long-lost species returned to science in 1938 The coelacanth was first rediscovered off the coast of South Africa in 1938, when a fisherman accidentally caught one in his net.
The fish was known only through fossils and believed to have vanished alongside the dinosaurs. Its unexpected appearance shocked scientists and was considered one of the most important natural history discoveries of the 20th century.
Grecian Delight supports Greece 1997 discovery of the Indonesian species expanded knowledge In 1997, marine biologists Arnaz and Mark Erdmann found a second coelacanth species at a fish market in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Formally described in 1999 as Latimeria menadoensis, the Indonesian species was known mainly through bycatch records and sightings using submersibles and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Until now, no diver had ever photographed a living Indonesian coelacanth in the wild.
Rare footage offers insight into deep-sea life During two separate dives, divers observed the same individual coelacanth hovering above a large rock, gently moving with slow fin motions.
Deep diver follows closely behind a living coelacanth at 144 meters in North Maluku, Indonesia Deep diver follows closely behind a living coelacanth at 144 meters in North Maluku, Indonesia. Credit: Alexis Chappuis / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Unlike past assumptions that coelacanths rest in caves during the day, the fish was found swimming out in the open, supporting newer studies that suggest more flexible behavior.
Both encounters were brief—five minutes during the first dive and eight during the second—before the divers began their long, careful ascent. At such depths, the journey back to the surface required hours of slow decompression to avoid serious health risks.
Conservation urgency grows for the ‘dinosaur fish’ Today, the Indonesian coelacanth is listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List, while its African cousin remains “critically endangered.” With their long life spans, slow growth, and late maturity, coelacanths are highly sensitive to environmental changes.
Chappuis and his team have chosen not to reveal the exact dive site to protect the newly found population from threats, including unregulated tourism. They hope their discovery will inspire stronger conservation efforts in Indonesia’s rich but fragile marine ecosystems.
The findings were published in the journal Nature under the title “First record of a living coelacanth from North Maluku, Indonesia.”
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From all the articles and pictures I’ve seen about them over the years, I doesn’t appear to me that they are quite as rare as reported.
Weird how a lot of stuff the wacky liberals told us went extinct is showing up again. Weird. Another RAT scam for more taxpayer dollars.
We need more beer. I mean, more money for diving gear.
Joe many times do they need to make this as “news”? I remember visiting Harvard’s Museum of Natural Sciences decades ago and saw one on display with descriptions more or less like the story above, but from 1930s.
I think it’s just a matter of time before we find living dinosaurs in Africa.
Correct.
We don’t need to go to Africa. Just set up hidden cameras in the democrat cloakroom in Congress.
The combination of the seniority system and supermajority seats in one party states sets up a perfect Lost World scenario.
No matter what we think, there are still unexplored places on this world...
Coelecanth found off coast of California
There are many "living fossils" (mostly dull stuff like mollusks) that are found deep in the fossil record and then found alive without showing up in upper strata. The Wollemi pine is another well-known example. Finding a dinosaur would actually be anti-climatic at this point.
I don't believe any dinosaurs are still around though. People don't understand the degree to which viable habitats have been surveyed by people all over the globe. It's one thing to identify a plant as a slightly different species or to identify a small mammal as a slightly different sub-species from those previously known, but a dinosaur would stand out. Not to mention their tracks, scat, physical remains when dead and so on.
Wonder what it would taste like deep fried? With Beer Batter
Weren’t we suppose to be losing 1000 species a day? YET... We still keep discovering new species. I can’t hink of a single animal that has become extinct in my near 60 years on this rock. Maybe there are but I haven’t heard about it.
“I can’t hink of a single animal that has become extinct in my near 60 years on this rock. Maybe there are but I haven’t heard about it.”
The Passenger Pigeon was only a little before your time, and mine.
I’m with you. The idiots are making extinct wolves and now they want to make Wooly Mammoths. People who rely on government grants to keep their scams going are thieves.
While not yet totally extinct, the Northern White Rhinocerous is down to ONE breedable adult, but her father was the last male, and he died in 2018.
https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/last-hope-white-northern-4-134182/
Who documented its existence 70 million years ago? Was it transcribed on a stone?
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