Herr Prof Dr Fricke, the first to film the swimming coelacanth at depth and in their caves in the Comoros, showed a 'old' (historical, 16-19th or 20th Century?) silver ornament that he had found in a Mexican market at a lecture I attended in Germany in the 90s - it was a definite model of a coelacanth. He hypothesised that they would turn up in a western pacific or Atlantic setting before long.

IUCN's opinion is that Latimeria chalumnae is "Regionally Extinct" in South African waters. Moreover, the species area included only the eastern portion of the peninsula, bordered by the Indian Ocean. So I think it's quite unlikely to find a Latimeria chalumnae South Africa.

Dear Susan and Riccardo

I totally agree with your kind answers. Nevertheless, a recent "anedoctical" communication from an old Madeiran fisherman that lived for many years in Namíbia describes a catch in 1953 of something that does resemble Latimeria. I am looking for the sketch he made for some time.

Cheers,

JP

JP, have you had any success locating the 1953 fisherman's sketch?

Hi Mark. Unfortunately no success at all. I went there and even interviewed some relatives but nobody knew anything that could be of help.

Thanks for your interest,

JP