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Jakarta, KCM

Species of ancient fish (coelacanth) re-appear at the bottom of the Sulawesi Sea during research expeditions conducted between March 31 until June 4, 2008. The researchers from the Center for Oceanographic Research Pengentahuan Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and the Aquamarine Fukushima Japan managed to record its presence using an underwater camera that brought Remotely operated vehicle (ROV).

Fish found in the waters of Central Sulawesi at a depth of 157 meters is the fifth coelacanth ever seen in Indonesian waters. Sulawesi Coelacanth was first seen by Mark V. Erdmann of the University of California at Berkeley, USA and his wife Arnaz Mehta in 1997 in death and are sold at a traditional market in Manado, North Sulawesi ..

New on July 30, 1998, Erdmann managed to obtain a fish of about 1.5 meters long and weighing 45 pounds caught in fishing nets around the island of Manado Tua, North Selawesi. Fish that had lived for about three hours of work are documented and secured before being sent to the laboratory LIPI and now stored in the Zoology Building, Research Center for Biology LIPI Cibinong, Bogor Regency.

Two other successful coelacanth fish caught in the deep sea floor 145 meters Sulawesi in 1999 during the expedition that made the researchers from the Max Planc Institute uses the ship Varuna Jaya VIII. Although only a video recording, the findings are still shook the world.

Coelacanth scaly body sharp. Dark-colored fish and has four fins like legs do not let the eggs hatch outside the body such as fish normally. The fertilized egg will be swallowed and children newly issued after the eggs hatched.

Living fossils

This finding becomes interesting because this fish species has not changed anatomy for millions of years. The youngest fossil coelacanth 70 million years old and the oldest 360 million years. These fish had been thought extinct until rediscovered in the east coast of Africa in 1939.

In subsequent studies, the fish named Latimeria chalumnae Smith also found in the vicinity of the Comoros in the Indian Ocean, Mozambique, and Madagascar. Coelacanth populations are also found in Sodwana Beach in November 2000.

"The coelacanth found in Indonesia have different genetic characteristics with the Coelacanth found in Africa. In addition, the results of DNA analysis showed that the fish that live in Indonesia are older than the fish in Africa," said one researcher, Dr. M. Kasim Moosa, experts from the Marine Biological LIPI, the 100-year press conference Research Institute of Marine Sciences LIPI in Jakarta, Monday (26 / 6).

The researchers who found it suggested the name to distinguish it manadoensis Latimeria. According to the Eunuch, the possibility of a coelacanth embryo of four-legged creatures that live on land. Coelacanths have a close evolutionary relationship with the first fish that live on the beach before live on land about 360 million years ago.

"The origin of fish in Africa might come from Indonesia and there is the possibility the fish live except in Sulawesi, such as the Philippines or other areas," said Kasim.

LIPI plan to conduct further research to find out more about the spread of these fish species.

Hopefully yes beguna in increasing knowledge!