A group of South African fishermen specializing in shark hunting accidentally rediscovered an ancient population of coelacanths that researchers thought were extinct.

The coelacanth, a fish nicknamed “four-legged fossil fish”, was discovered living and growing well in the western Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar, according to a report from a non-profit environmental conservation website. Mongabay News. Their reappearance is partly thanks to fishermen using gillnets during shark fishing trips. While they hunt sharks for their fins, oil and many other parts, high-tech deep-sea fishing nets can reach the coelacanth’s habitat, at a depth of about 100 – 150 m below the water’s surface.

The fish, which dates back 420 million years ago, was thought to be extinct until 1938, when the first living coelacanth was discovered on the coast of South Africa. Scientists were shocked to find an individual of the West Indian Ocean coelacanth subspecies (Latimeria chalumnae) with 8 fins, characteristic spotted patterns on the scales and a giant body.

Recent research in the SA Journal of Science indicates that coelacanths may face new survival risks with the increase in shark hunting since the 1980s. Gillnets used to catch sharks are relatively new and dangerous. more dangerous because the net is wide and can be placed in deep water. Researchers fear coelacanths may be caught by bycatch, especially in Madagascar.

Research team leader Andrew Cooke and his colleagues were surprised by the increase in the number of coelacanths being caught by bycatch. Their research shows that Madagascar is likely the center of many different coelacanth subspecies. They also emphasized that it is urgent to carry out conservation measures for this ancient fish species. The expert group recommends educating the public about the uniqueness of the coelacanth, based on the results of 40 years of research.