Extinct Animal : Coelacanth

"Old fourlegs," the coelacanth (see-la-kanth), close to the stock that gave rise to the land vertebrates, is well known from the fossil record of 75 million to 400 million years ago. They were thought to be extinct until 1938 when one was caught off the coast of South Africa. A long search for their home ended in 1952 when they were found in the Comoros archipelago.

In 1975, it was discovered that the coelacanth is a "live bearer" when a 1.5 m mother was found to contain five young that were each a perfect 30 cm miniature of the adult. Of the specimens caught to date, the maximum weight has been 95 kg and the maximum length about 1.8 m.