Coelacanth and pup - smithsonian

Description :

Description: English: A preserved coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) and its pup at the Sant Hall of Oceans at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., USA. Considered a "living fossil" because it is an ancient class of lobe-limbed fish that went extinct more than 70 million years ago, the first living coelacanth was caught off the east coast of South Africa near the Chalumna River in 1938. Today, at least two major populations of coelacanths are know: One off east Africa, and another near Indonesia. Coelacanths cannot be eaten; their flesh contains oil that is highly distasteful to human beings. This specimen weighs 160 pounds (72.6 kg) and measures 5.5 feet (1.67 m) in length. Date: 7 January 2012. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23165290@N00/6670823349/. Author: Tim Evanson.