'Extinct Fossil Fish' Dating Back 420 Million Years Found Alive in Madagascar

The coelacanth was found in the West Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar by a team of South African shark hunters.

Coelacanths were first discovered alive and well again in 1938, prompting marine scientists to call for stronger conservation steps to safeguard the 420 million-year-old fish.

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As per Mongabay News, when the fish was discovered again in 1938, marine biologists were reported "agog" and declared that the "four-legged, living fossil fish" had returned from the dead.

More of the fish have been captured off the coasts of South Africa, Tanzania, and the Comoros Islands after they resurfaced, according to the non-profit environmental protection platform.

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The discovery of coelacanths is thought to be related to the continuing rise in demand for shark fins and oil. As a result, fishermen are having to cast their gill nets deeper into the ocean, closer to where the once-extinct fish congregates.

According to Newsweek, coelacanths congregate between 328 and 492 feet below the water's surface.

Although deep-sea fishing has assisted in the reintroduction of the species, marine biologists are concerned that gillnets pose a danger to coelacanths.

Andrew Cooke, the lead author of a recent study published in the South African Journal of Science, said:

“When we looked into this further, we were astounded [by the numbers caught]… even though there has been no proactive process in Madagascar to monitor or conserve coelacanths.”

He did admit, however, that handline fishing on the Comoros archipelago's steep volcanic slopes "provided a valuable source of museum specimens and was the main subject of coelacanth study for nearly 40 years."