Coelacanth  (Latimeria chalumnae)

Population numbers are particularly difficult to assess given the deep habitats of this species but the Comoros population was believed to show a dramatic decline in the 1990s (7). These fish are accidentally caught on lines whilst local fisherman search the deep waters for other species (7). Due to the likely slow reproduction rate and small number of offspring of coelacanths, the species is possibly particularly vulnerable to the removal of pregnant females from the population (7).

The coelacanth is protected from international trade by its listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) (1). Fishermen of the Grand Comoro Island have also imposed a voluntary ban on fishing in areas where coelacanths (or ‘gombessa’ as they are known locally) exist (6), in a vital effort to save their country’s most unique fauna. The Coelacanth Rescue Mission is also distributing Deep Release Kits to local fishermen, which provide an effective method of returning accidentally caught fish to their deep habitat (4). There have recently been encouraging signs that the Comoros population is now stable (6), although careful monitoring will be needed to ensure this living fossil survives into the next millennium.