Instate to study the fish off the Comoros Islands. Fricke had built his own submarine so he could study the coelacanth in its natural habitat. The animal hides in underwater caves some 300 to 700 feet down during the day and comes out at night to feed. Its peculiar lobed fins allow it to swim in a manner very similar to walking. The class of fish to which the Coelacanth belongs to appeared some 400 to 350 million years ago.
Scientists theorize that it is closely related to the first four-limbed land animals.
Originally it was a concern that the Coelacanth might have a very limited range and that overfishing along the Comoros Islands might wipe it out. Scientists were amazed when in 1997 another coelacanth was discovered by an American scientist in Indonesia more than 6000 miles away from the Comoros. In October of 2000 divers off South Africa happened on three coelacanths in the St. Lucia Marine Protected Area. Also known as the Kombessa. Copyright Lee Krystek 1996-2001.