While everybody thought it was extincted since 65 millions of years, in december 22th 1938, Hendrick Goosen, captain of the Nerine took found in his net a strange fish, from a 70 meters depth. There was an upwelling that day (cold water that going up) and some other abyssal sharks were caught that day. The fish in question was from an electric blue, and had a 1,50 meters lenght.
Since 1952, up to 200 specimens were caught, from a 100 to 300 meters depth. Even if it was a big discovery for the Occidental world, the Comores' fishers knows this fish since a long time. They call it Kombessa and sometime eat it, and they also use it's rough skin to put on their bicycle's tire when they have a flat before to put something more appropriated!
The scientifical name of the animal is Lattimeria chalumnae, in honor to Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer and in reference to the place where it was found (Chalumna river). The fish is caracterised by its pawlike fins. Its tail's also caracteristic to the specie. Afica is full of mysteries, and this one is about to be solved. But is there are other prehistoric animals living in Africa? Many think that yes...
SOURCE: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/cryptozoo/coel_mex.htm (french page)
Cryptozoologix 2001
