Most fish have fins that wave about like fans. The coelacanth's fins are attached to little arm-like stumps, almost like tiny legs. Scientists think these fins might show us what the very first creatures looked like when animals on Earth began to move from the sea onto land, hundreds of millions of years ago. That is why the coelacanth is one of the most exciting animals scientists have ever found.
Coelacanths live very deep — sometimes 200 metres below the surface, where the water is cold and dark. They grow to about 1.8 metres long (bigger than most adults) and can weigh 80 kilograms. They are steel-blue with white spots, and their scales are very tough. They swim slowly, drifting and hovering in the dark.
Fishermen in Comoros had been catching coelacanths for a very long time without realising how special they were — they called them 'gombessa' and sometimes used their rough scales like sandpaper. Now scientists and local communities work together to protect the coelacanth, which has become a great source of pride for Comoros. The fish even appears on Comorian coins.