1. Coelacanth is a type of fish related to other extinct fish
that like the osteolepiforms and are thought to have gone
extinct in the Late Cretaceous, it was later discovered in
1938 in the coast south of Africa. The only living
coelacanth species is the Latimeria chulmnae and the
latimeria menadoensis, it has since been renamed as the
living fossil because they were first discovered as dead
fossils before they were actually discovered in form of
living specimen.
2. The unique thing with the coelacanth is that they have
some features that aren't possessed by any other
creature, for instance its body has Cosmoid scales that act
like the armour protecting its exterior. It also has an
intracranial joint that allows it to open its mouth
extremely wide than the common fish and has a hollow
backbone. This features gives the scientist and researchers
the anxiety to research more on its body structure.
3. Another outstanding feature of the coelacanth fish is that
it creates a link between the fish and the amphibians this
is why it has such an importance to biotechnology. Hence
scientists use its genes to measure the genetic differences
of the coelacanth DNA. This is because coelacanth possibly
survives in more adverse conditions and can encounter
new diseases.
4. To biologists the coelacanth is an important species in the
evolution of four- limped animals commonly known as the
tetra pods. It is important because it tells the biologist
about the genome and the evolution of modern day
vertebrates, from the modern day stretching to over
million years ago.
5. The coelacanth according to the scientist is important
because they believe it may have given rise to the modern
day vertebrates which are living on the land. This has lead
to scientist researching more on the genes and blood
structure of the coelacanth to determine and prove their
assumptions.
6. The discovery of the coelacanth made it possible for the
scientist to research more on their feeding habits and their
modes of reproduction because they had never
determined how the coelacanth reproduce and how their
fertilisation occurs. This is because the scientists had only
caught adults' coelacanths and never the young ones.
Their reappearance made it possible for scientists to
research on them and discover new theories about them
relating to other vertebrates.
7. The importance of the coelacanth for evolutionary theory
and palaeontology is shown to be paralleled in cultural,
literary and artistic areas of human heritage. Through its
evolution it will make scientists to compare its evolution
and adaptive features to the current evolution status of
the humans and maybe be able to predict the outcome in
the future.
8. The reappearance of the Coelacanth has given the
countries a source of income in the tourist sector because
it has attracted many ecologists and scientists who travel
to countries to learn and see for themselves the living
fossil and make their own research and try to have
answers for what they had doubts about.