In the third episode of Shelf Life, the American Museum of Natural History taps Ichthyology curator Melanie L. J. Stiassny to talk about the Museum’s coelacanth and offers a primer on specimen prep.
Among the sharks and seaweed caught in the nets of a South African trawler on December 22, 1938, there lay a large blue fish, dappled with white spots. Its armor-like scales and lobed fins recalled a group of fishes that scientists thought had died out 70 million years ago. As it turned out, reports of the coelacanth’s extinction had been greatly exaggerated.
Read more about the coelacanth and proper specimen preparation in the full article.
via AMNH
Matt Coneybeare
Editor in Chief
Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.
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