“EXTINCT” FISH CAUGHT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 April 1939, Page 9

“EXTINCT” FISH CAUGHT

SAID TO HAVE EXISTED FIFTY MILLION YEARS AGO. SENSATIONAL SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. What is regarded as one of the most sensational scientific discoveries of the twentieth century has been made off the coast of East London, South Africa. A specimen of a fish regarded by scientists all over the world as having been extinct for the last 50,000,000 years has been caught in a trawl net. Dr. J. L. B. Smith, of Rhodes University College and the ichthyologist at the Albany Museum, who is carrying out research work on the specimen, said: “This is unquestionably one of the most valuable zoological specimens in the world today. Its scientific value is absolutely incalculable.” The fish was trawled in about 40 fathoms between Gulu and Chalumna. It was sft. in length, and a beautiful steel-blue in colour, with big, dark blue eyes. Its weight was 1271 b. On reaching port the captain of the trawler, Captain H. P. Goosen, asked Miss M. Courtney Latimer, the curator of East London Museum, to see the fish. When she saw the great fish aboard the trawler she realised at once that it was of a very primitive species. A unique feature that was discovered when Mr R. Center, a taxidermist, skinned the fish was that there was no skeleton. The usual bony structure was replaced by cartilage. Miss Latimer immediately communicated with Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith produced a picture of the fossilised remains of a fish belonging to the order Crossopterygii. which was stated to have become extinct 50 million years ago. The resemblance between the fish in the picture and the specimen was most striking. He explained that fishes first made Iheir appearance in the world approximately 300 million years ago. Various types were evolved, but practically all the original forms became, extinct at a comparatively remote period. The order Crossopterygii first appeared in the Carboniferous Age—about 250 million years ago—and developed and flourish-

ed for between 100 and 150 million years. At the end of the Palaeozoic period these were the dominant form in the ocean, but the great majority became extinct during the Triassic Age. One family, however, known as the Coelacanthideae, survived until the end of the Mesozoic period, approximately 50 million years ago. Scientists have regarded these principal Crossopterygii fishes as having been extinct since that time. The curator of the East London Museum stated that the fish exuded through tiny holes in its scales, 20 gallons of oil. When* it was dissected prior to mounting, the vertebral column oozed over a gallon of fine oil.