Ancient World Excited Fish Catch Yustinus

MANADO, FRIDAY - Two fishermen of Malalayang, Manado, Yustinus Lahama and Delfie, fish does not expect the results tangkapannya on 19 May 2007 in the Bay of Manado, just stir the world.

The fish is known scientists of the world, the kind of "Latimeria menadoensis" or Coelacanth, an ancient fish that was already considered to be extinct since 65 million years ago.

Now the fish has been displayed and excited participants from various countries that participated in the event the World Ocean Conference (WOC) and Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) Summit, 11-15 May 2009.

Yustinus the ancient fish are captured when the lodge own hook. Being visible when a fish with a length of approximately one meter and 30 kg weight range, along with white spots.

Fish is available on the depth of the sea about 105 meters, on the beach Malalayang, at 08.00 Wita, 19 May. "Although quite large, but the fish do not seem to fight again when the tow to the boat," he said, relate the arrest.

According to various sources of data, Coelacanth defined as "a hollow spine" based on the Greek word coelia, "hollow" and acanthos, "thorns". This refers to the physical barbed fin on the hollow.

Coelacanth is a fish that came from a branch of the evolution of the oldest living fish from the jowl. Estimated to have been extinct since the late Cretaceous period 65 million years ago, until a specimens found in East Africa, South River Chalumna in the year 1938.

However, since the Coelacanth found in the Comoros, the island of Old Manado in the South, countries Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and Llaut Park St Lucia in South Africa.

In Indonesia, particularly around Manado, this species by local people named the king of sea fish. Coelacanth consists of about 120 species known to be based on fossil findings. To date, there have been two species were found living Coelacanth namely Comoros Coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae and Sulawesi Coelacanth, Latimeria menadoensis.

"Until the year 1938, the fish consanguine fish close to the lungs is considered to have been extinct since the end of the Cretaceous period, about 65 million years back," said Dean of Faculty of Marine and Fisheries UNSRAT Manado, Prof Kwa Masengie.

According to him, there is a iktiologis (fish expert), Dr JLB Smith describe and fish, and his article published in the journal Nature in 1939.

He gave the name Latimeria chalumnae to new types of fish, to the curator of the museum and the discovery of the location of the fish.

Search location where the ancient fish that lived during the next dozen years and then get the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean to the west as their habitat, in which several hundred individuals is estimated to live in the ocean depths over 150 meters.

Outside the island that, until the 1990's some of the individuals caught in the waters of Mozambique, Madagascar and South Africa. But everything is still considered as part of a population more or less the same.

In 1998, sixty years after the finding of living fossil Coelacanth Comoros, a king of sea fish caught in fishing nets Island Old Manado, North Sulawesi.

This fish has been long known by local fishermen, but not yet in existence is known there by the world of science. Ancient fish that is physically similar Coelacanth Comoros, with the difference in color.

When the fish was arrested with the other species by two fishermen in Manado, scandalize the information directly to the ear of the Governor of North Sulawesi, SH Sarundajang. North Sulawesi Governor SH Sarundajang as proposer implementing WOC, direct search for fish by inviting a number of researchers from various academic, domestic and abroad.

Fish is directly secured in the Office of Marine Fisheries and North Sulawesi, are stored in "cold storage", so that can continue to survive until the implementation of the WOC and scientific interest.

Manado Ocean Declaration (MOD) have agreed on the WOC that followed thousands of participants from over 80 countries in Manado, and has recorded the history of sea rescue and konservasinya.

However, the existence of the ancient fish that was in the water in the world still bring to ideas, so that the Coelacanth so maskot WOC.

Media Center Coordinator Tumiwa Roy WOC in Manado, the ancient fish that has made discussion on the level of government and marine stakeholders.

The success of organizing have made the WOC, the famous to the various corners of the world. However, it will be more popular again, when the ancient fish coelancanth soon be maskot WOC. (Kompas - Friday, May 15 )