In an update to our earlier story on Indonesian coelacanths, we have several pictures and more information.
In a co-operative expedition between the Aquamarine Fukushima aquarium in Japan, which recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ACEP, the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (LIPI) and Sam Ratulangi University, five individual coelacanths were filmed in several caves off the coast of Sulawesi near the town of Buol using an ROV.
During a previous expedition in 1999, the German submersible Jago, which has been used extensively in the study of African coelacanths, filmed two coelacanths in the vicinity of this latest study. Indonesian coelacanths have not been seen in the wild around Manado, several hundred kilometers to the northeast, despite intensive searches. Although rare catches, some of the Indonesian fishermen around Manado are familiar with coelacanths, and call them rajah laut - "king of the sea".
Coelacanths were first noticed
by scientists in Indonesian waters from a photograph taken by
Dr. Mark Erdmann and his wife Arnaz in a fish market whilst on
honeymoon in Manado, Sulawesi in 1997. On the 30th of July 1998, after
an intensive search and interview campaign, a specimen from Manado was brought to
Dr. Erdmann, and this second specimen has been preserved for scientific
research. On the basis of this specimen and genetic comparisons with
African coelacanths (Latimeria chalumnae), the Indonesian fish have been classified as another species, the Indonesian coelacanth, Latimeria menadoensis.
On this expedition, coelacanths were found in caves at between 154 and 183m. The first one was spotted at a depth of 165m on the 30th of May, with another 4 individuals identified from their unique spot patterns from further discoveries on subsequent dives on the 31st of May and 4th of June. Temperatures at sightings ranged between 15.4 and 20.4 degrees Celcius.
We would like to thank Dr. Yoshitaka Abe and his team from the Aquamarine Fukushima for generously sending us the pictures and information used compile this article.
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