In 1938, Captain Hendrick Goshou of a South African fishing vessel accidentally caught a very unusual fish that had never been seen before.
 |
(Photo: vivaldi.zool) |
This fish resembled a coelacanth (Crossopterygii), measuring 1.5 meters in length and weighing 58 kg, with a rounded body and a tail that splits into small lobes. Its tail fins formed three unusual lobes, leading to its designation as the “lobe-finned fish.”
Previously, it was believed that this species had been extinct for 60 million years, making the lobe-finned fish even more valuable. Mr. James, a fish expert from Rhodes University researching the lobe-finned fish, immediately issued an announcement: anyone who brought him another specimen would receive a reward of £100. Unfortunately, he had to wait 14 years until 1952 to receive a second specimen of the lobe-finned fish.
The lobe-finned fish is robust, with thick flesh, a square lower jaw, and teeth. Its body is covered with rounded scales, as tough as armor, and it possesses eight fleshy fins. Its pectoral fins and two pairs of pelvic fins are highly developed and can move in various positions, sometimes mimicking the movements of four-legged terrestrial animals. The behavior of this lobe-finned fish is quite unusual, providing evidence for the theory that four-legged animals evolved from fish fins.
The lobe-finned fish lives in deep sea waters at depths of 200-400 meters. When it emerges from the dark, cold environment, it does not survive for long. Below 200 meters, the fish’s eyes lose their function, and it relies on other sensory systems to locate prey, feeding on smaller fish.
(Photo: uni-heidelberg)
