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Prehistoric monster terrorises kids in the Ganges

Indian paleontologists are heading to Calcutta in West Bengal after locals claimed to have fished a prehistoric Coelacanth out of the water.

Coelacanths were believed to have been extinct since the end of the Cretaceous period until the first specimen was found off the east coast of South Africa in 1938.

Since then they have been found in the Comoros, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar.

But the experts are trying to work out how what would be the biggest ever Coelacanth specimen weighing 320 kilos came to be floating down the Ganges.

The fish, eight feet long and three feet wide, had a cut on its stomach and some of the fins had been torn free.

Official stands by kids who raised the alarm saying: "Initially we thought that a big sea animal was coming to devour us, it was only when we got out the water we realised it was dead."

Experts believe that if it is a Coelacanth in the fish may have been caught and dumped by fishermen as it almost worthless because the flesh exudes oils even when dead, giving the flesh a foul flavour and a disgusting smell.

Austrian Times



Write your comment to this article here

  • Richard wrote on 10. 11. 2009 from California

    The fish is a serranid (Sea bas), probably the Genus Epinephelus

    Reply

  • tom wrote on 01. 10. 2009 from texas

    Not a Coelacanth! You Austrians are icthiotards!

    Reply

  • Danny wrote on 29. 08. 2009 from United Kingdom

    Thats not a Coelancanth -its a dead Nile Perch!

    Reply

    • Scott wrote on 02. 09. 2009 from US

      I agree it is most certainly not a coelacanth. This story is total garbage!

      Reply

    • Justin wrote on 02. 09. 2009 from Santa Fe, NM

      Agreed that it isn't a Coelacanth, but it could be any large perch or sea bass.

      Reply



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