KatieCoelacanth

=The Ceolocanth=



Basic Facts:

 * Size: up to 6.5 feet
 * Weight: up to 198 lbs
 * Life-span: up to 60 years
 * Deep-sea creature living in depths up to 2,300 feet below the surface
 * Two known species of Coelacanths:
 * One that lives near the Comoros Islands off the east coast of Africa
 * One found in the water off Sulawesi, Indonesia

Unique Characteristics:

 * paired lobes that extend away from the body like legs and move in an alternating pattern
 * hinged joint in the skull which allows the fish to widen its mouth for large prey
 * an oil filled tube called a notochord with serves as a backbone
 * thick scales
 * electro sensory rostral organ in its snout to detect prey

Coelacanths were thought to have gone extinct 65 million years ago around the time that dinosaurs reached extinction. In 1938, a Coelacanth was discovered by a South African museum curator. At this point, a debate was ignited about how this lobe-finned fish fits into the evolution of animals.
 * History:**

The Association for the Preservation of the Coelocanth:
Current Efforts:
 * Community Education
 * Providing alternatives for fisherman in order to avoid Coelacanth habitat

Immediate Needs:
 * Increasing aid to local fisherman
 * commitment from government authorities
 * training programs for local village leaders
 * funds for the establishment of the coelacanth park and environmental education center

Works Cited:
“Coelocanth.” Animals.National Geographic. National Geographic, 2010. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. .

“Coelocanths.” Aquatic Community. N.p., 2004. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. .

Leskovitz, Frank J. “English Text.” Association for the Preservation of the Coelocanth. gombessa.tripod, 2010. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. .