latimeriachalumnae



** Latimeria Chalumnae (Coelacanth) **




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The coelacanth was threatened with extinction in 1989. The fish was thought to be extinct for over 60 million years prior to their rediscovery. Then, in 1998, the total population of the coelacanth was estimated to have been 500 or fewer, a number that would threaten the survival of the species. ======

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The coelacanths live in the steep slopes of volcanic islands in the Indian Ocean at depths greater than 150 meters. The depth is not as important as their requirement for dim light and for water which has a temperature of 14 to 22 °C. Scientific research proposes that the coelacanth must are required in cold, well-oxygenated water or else their blood cannot take in enough oxygen. ======

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Coelacanths live in caves in tropical oceans below 328 feet (100 meters), in steep, sloping areas. At night they move up the slope to feed. ======

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Geologic Processes: The Atlantic Ocean is full of continental plates breaking apart and precedes the formation and development of all new ocean basins. The rifting and separation of continental plates has been developed by examining currently active rifting environments, such as the East African and Red Sea rifts. The Atlantic Ocean is also full of sediment drifts and associated bed forms, such as sediment waves, are a major depositional product of bottom-current activity in deep marine environments in the northeastern areas. ======

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Labrador Current, Gulf Stream, North Equatorial Current, South Equatorial Current, North Brazil Current, Guinea Current, Angola Current, Brazil Current, Benguela current, South Atlantic Current ======

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Atlantic Ocean's Average Tidal Range: The most notable tidal ranges are found in the Bay of Fundy in Canada, where the difference between high and low water exceeds 40 feet, and along the coast of Brittany in France, where the range is some 16 feet. The smallest tidal ranges occur in parts of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean, all of which have oscillations of less than 3 feet. ======

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Where they travel and why: Coelacanth travel as much as 8 km at night searching for food and retreats to the nearest cave before dawn. ======

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How many individuals are alive: An estimate of the population in 1991 was 650 coelacanths. By 1994, there was a 32% decline, resulting in numbers of 450. 1995 showed fewer than 300. ======

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**Survival Trends-** Coelocanths are critically endangered because an expected 80% reduction to be met within the next 10 years due to a decline in area of occupancy. They have since been moved to a critically endangered species in 2000. ======

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**Appearance-** Coelacanth’s have color ranging from brown to dark blue, and body patterns are unique to the individual. The eyes are well developed, with reflecting cells called tapita to enhance night vision. They weigh between 110 to 198 pounds (50–90 kilograms). Female coelacanths can be as long as 6 feet (1.9 meters) and males as long as 5 feet (1.50 meters). ======

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Coelacanths are ovoviparous (give birth to live young), with females developing eggs in the oviduct. Adults locate each other for breeding with electro receptive rosteral organs. It is believed that they are not sexually mature until after 20 years of age. ======

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2. Second dorsal fin: 30 rays  ======

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3. Anal fin: 27 to 31 rays  ======

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<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Pectoral fin: 29 to 32 rays  ======

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<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Pelvic fins: 29 to 33 rays  ======

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<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Coelacanths are the only living animals to have a fully functional intercranial joint, which is a division separating the ear and brain from the nasal organs and eye. ======

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<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Coelacanths are lobe-finned fish with the pectoral and anal fins on fleshy stalks supported by bones, and the tail or caudal fin diphycercal (divided into three lobes), the middle one of which also includes a continuation of the notochord. ======

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<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Coelacanths have a special electroreceptive device called a rostral organ in the front of the skull, which probably helps in prey detection. ======

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<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Food Chain-** Coelacanths are opportunistic feeders, hunting cuttlefish, squid, snipe eels, small sharks, and other fish found in their deep reef and volcanic slope habitats. Coelacanth feed by standing on their head, swim backwards, and belly-up using their rosteral gland to locate their prey. Then they suck their food into its hinged jaws. ======

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<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tourism: The fish is spotted only about a half dozen times a year, when native fishermen paddling dugout canoes haul them aboard by accident. ======

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<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fishery: If a coelacanth was to be accidently caught it would die within two hours because this species only lives in deep, cold-sea environment. Natural history museums have scooped up hundreds of dead specimens caught by local fishermen. ======

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<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Reason for Endangerment- The coelacanth was believed to be extinct for 65 million years until one was found in 1938 off Africa's coast. ** ======

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<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Conservation Efforts- The Coelacanth Rescue Mission is an outgrowth of several coelacanth expeditions to the Comoro Islands originated in the 1980's. Their mission is to help reduce coelacanth fatalities by distributing a Deep Release Kit to the local fishermen who accidentally catch about nine of the fish each year. ** ======

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<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. The coelacanths become extremely stressed and died once being raised out of deep water. In order for coelacanths to stay alive they need to not be removed from the environment they are accustomed too. ======

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<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Because they look the same today as they did 300 million years ago, coelacanths are a surviving record of a critical period when fish prepared to crawl out of the water onto dry land. The four flipper-like fins that protrude from the coelacanth's bony torso are the stunted beginnings of legs. This shows that the fish may be evolving which means an evolutionary solution to them remaining alive. ======

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<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">__Creature from the Black Lagoon - ancient coelacanth near extinction - Brief Article. 2 June 2009 <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1590/is_n5_v55/ai_21257639/>.__ ======

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QUESTIONS: Coelacanth's are accostumed to what type of water conditions? Coelacanths are what type of feeders? Gestation time lasts for how long ?