Search for a living fossil - A Fascination for Fish: Adventures of an Underwater Pioneer - page 164

Coelacanth. (Illustration by Charles Douglas. Reprinted by
permission, Canadian Museum of Nature.)
like supports, similar to those that evolved into the four limbs of land
vertebrates. They are large fish, reaching a length of six feet or longer
and weighing up to 220 pounds. No living coelacanth had ever been
kept in an aquarium. If our expedition were successful, not only would
it be the first of these fascinating creatures ever to be on display, but
scientists would flock to the Academy to study it.
JOURNEY TO THE INDIAN OCEAN
The expedition was planned for February 1975 to coincide with the
month the monsoon usually arrives and also the month when most coela-
canths have been caught incidentally by local Comoran fishermen. The
actual target of these fishermen is the oilfish ( Ruvettus spp.), which is
used for food. Oilfish are caught with handmade baited hand lines from
small pirogues, or dugout canoes, in the deep water close to the islands.