The coelacanth is a fish known for its fossils, and was thought to have died out about 66 million years ago. That is, until 1938, when they were discovered to be still around and reproducing in deep waters. Coelacanths became known as "living fossils" since the species goes back so far. But were they really ever lost at all?
And while science only recognized that these critters were not actually extinct as of 1938, it seems fisherman local to their habitats were abundantly familiar with them. So familiar, in fact, that they knew how to make a meal out of them. Pre-eminent cryptozoologist Ivan Sanderson, in reference to ichthyologist James Smith’s 1938 coelacanth-hunting in South Africa, once observed, “There were indications that the native population in this part of the world had fished for and eaten these ‘living fossils’ for several generations. Although not a common item in native diets, there is no doubt that, while Professor Smith dreamed of finding a second coelacanth, a dozen or more had probably been served and eaten” (Sanderson, 1961, p15). Fisherman off the Comoro Islands, Madagascar, and Mozambique colloquially referred to coelacanth as gombessa (“worthless”) due to the fact that it secreted gallons of oily mucous, and would often ruin the rest of the catch, which makes it even more puzzling that it’s 1938 rediscovery happened when it was found in a pile of other fish headed for the market.
This shouldn't surprise you, as we've posted many stories about rare or even unique animals that were eaten. You might be interested in how one prepares a coelacanth dinner, which you can learn about at Esoterx. Once you do, you probably will swear them off for good. -via Strange Company
(Image credit: Dean Falk Schnabel)