Environews, Jakarta – In 1997, marine scientists from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and American marine scientists were astonished when they saw the “King of the Sea” fish being sold at a fish market in Manado. “Isn’t this the ancient Coelacanth fish that was thought to have gone extinct 66 million years ago?” they murmured. The fish was immediately purchased and sent to San Diego, USA, for research. Around the same time, fisheries scientists from the Agricultural Research Agency (Balitbangtan) and French fisheries scientists also discovered a dead Coelacanth fish on the shore. The ancient fish was quickly sent to a laboratory in France for further examination.
It was confirmed to be an ancient fish, and the French scientists, together with their partners from Balitbangtan, named the fish Latimeria menadoensis and promptly submitted their findings to a prestigious international journal—quicker than the LIPI-USA team. The world buzzed with debate: Who was the first to discover the Coelacanth fish—LIPI with the US team, or Balitbangtan with the French team?
To date, only two species of the ancient Coelacanth fish have been discovered alive: Latimeria chalumnae, found near the Comoros Islands, East Africa, in 1938, and Latimeria menadoensis, found in 1997 in Manado. Before 1938, the Coelacanth was believed to have gone extinct during the Paleocene period, around 66 million years ago, alongside the dinosaurs due to a meteor collision that devastated parts of the Earth. Prior to this, Coelacanths had only been found as fossils in rocks.
The Coelacanth, thought to have emerged during the Mesozoic era about 400 million years ago, and presumed extinct for 66 million years, was discovered alive in East African waters and in the seas of Manado, Indonesia.
Like dinosaurs, the Coelacanth fish has captured global attention, especially among children in Japan, who fantasize about the species. Often referred to as a “living fossil,” the Coelacanth has evolved over 400 million years. It is characterized by its large eyes, sharp teeth, and fin structures resembling four legs. These fish live in deep-sea ecosystems under immense pressure, causing them to perish when brought to the surface.
Through Indonesia-US Marine Collaboration, the modern research vessel OceanX conducted an expedition in Indonesian waters from May 4 to August 25, 2024, under the coordination of Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment. Indonesian and American marine scientists joined the expedition aboard the advanced research ship, equipped with a mini-submarine capable of diving up to 6,000 meters.
During the OceanX expedition in North Sulawesi waters, the mini-submarine was deployed to document the life of the Coelacanth in the deep sea. “Our efforts succeeded. A group of about 10 living Coelacanth fish was observed at depths of 155–250 meters near Talisei Island, North Sulawesi,” said Professor Alex Masengi, one of the expedition participants. “The school of fish was recorded on video, and the footage was relayed to the OceanX ship. The atmosphere on board erupted with excitement, as this marked the first time living Coelacanth groups were captured in high-resolution video,” explained the professor from Sam Ratulangi University.
The video footage of the ancient Coelacanth fish, Latimeria menadoensis, was showcased at the Opening Ceremony of the International Conference for Sustainable Coral Reefs in Manado, held from December 13–15, 2024. “We hope that the Coelacanth fish from Manado, along with its marine ecosystem, can be proposed to UNESCO as a World Heritage Site,” added Alex Masengi.
