在馬達加斯加重新發(fā)現(xiàn)了四足“活化石”魚

Coelacanths, an extinct fossil that dates back to roughly 420 million years ago, was unexpectedly rediscovered in the tropical island-country of Madagascar in East Africa.

腔棘魚是一種大約4.2億年前滅絕的四足“活化石”魚，近日在東非熱帶島國——馬達加斯加被意外地重新發(fā)現(xiàn)。

According to reports from Mongabay News, a nonprofit environmental conservation group coelacanths, the four-legged fossil fish has just been found alive and kicking in the West Indian Ocean just off the coast of Madagascar.

據(jù)Mongabay News的報道，非營利性環(huán)境保護組織發(fā)現(xiàn)這條腔棘魚，是在在馬達加斯加海岸附近的西印度洋，當時這條魚還活著，還在踢著腳。

(Photo: Pascalou petit / WikiCommons)

Coelacanths or Latimeria are carnivorous fish that live up to 60 years and grow as large as 6.5 feet and weigh approximately 198 pounds.

腔棘魚或乳香魚是肉食性魚類，壽命長達60年，長到6.5英尺，重約198磅。

According to National Geographic, these primitive-looking coelacanths are believed to have gone extinct 65 million years ago along with the dinosaurs. However, in 1938, sa South African museum curator ignited a scientific debate on how the unique lobe-finned fish fits into the existing evolutionary timeline of land animals.

據(jù)《國家地理》報道，這些長相原始的腔棘魚被認為在6500萬年前隨著恐龍一起滅絕了。然而，在1938年，一位南非博物館館長引發(fā)了一場科學辯論，

Coelacanths are rarely sighted deep-sea creatures that thrived in depths of up to 2,300 feet below the surface.

腔棘魚是一種罕見的深海生物，它們在地表以下2300英尺深處繁衍生息。

The uniqueness of the "four-legged living fossil" is its paired lobe fins extending away from its body like human legs alternating pattern similar to a trotting horse.

這種“四足活化石”的獨特之處在于它的雙葉鰭從身體延伸出來，就像人類的腿交替出現(xiàn)，就像一匹小跑的馬。

The unexpected rediscovery of the "living fossils" was thanks to the shark hunters using gillnets during their expedition. As the hunters targeted sharks for their oil, fins, and various other commercial enterprises, their devices were able to reach deep-sea nets where coelacanths gathered roughly 328-492 feet below the surface.

這些“活化石”的意外重新發(fā)現(xiàn)要歸功于探險期間用刺網(wǎng)捕鯊的獵人們。當獵人以鯊魚為目標尋找它們的魚油、魚鰭和其他各種商業(yè)企業(yè)時，他們的設備就能夠到達深海網(wǎng)，在那里腔棘魚大約聚集在水面以下328-492英尺的地方。

A recent study published in the journal SA Journal of Science, entitled "Coelacanth discoveries in Madagascar, with recommendations on research and conservation" warns that the "four-legged fossils" may face new species-level threats to their survival due to the uptick in shark hunting that boomed in the 1980s.

《科學雜志》(SA journal of Science)最近發(fā)表的一項題為“馬達加斯加腔棘魚的發(fā)現(xiàn)，以及對研究和保護的建議”的研究警告說，由于20世紀80年代興起的捕獵鯊魚的熱潮，這些“四足化石”可能面臨新物種級別的生存威脅。

The authors of the study wrote that jarifa gillnets that are used to catch sharks are relatively new and believed to be a more deadly innovation because they are large and can be set in deep water.

這項研究的作者寫道，用于捕捉鯊魚的jarifa刺網(wǎng)相對較新，被認為是一種更致命的創(chuàng)新，因為它們很大，可以在深水中使用。

Researchers fear that the rediscovery of the coelacanths may lead to heightened risks of "exploitation" especially in Madagascar where past sightings have been cited. The team wrote that there is no doubt that the sizeable mesh jarifa gillnets is, as of today, the biggest threat to the coelacanth's survival in Madagascar.

研究人員擔心，腔棘魚的重新發(fā)現(xiàn)可能會導致更高的“開發(fā)”風險，特別是在馬達加斯加，那里曾經(jīng)有人提到過這種現(xiàn)象。研究小組寫道，毫無疑問，到今天為止，相當大的網(wǎng)眼刺網(wǎng)是對馬達加斯加腔棘魚生存的最大威脅。

The study goes on further purporting that Madagascar is more than likely to be the "epicenter" of many coelacanth subspecies which is why it is vital that local and international conservation steps be taken to preserve the extraordinary species that has predated the dinosaurs.

這項研究進一步指出，馬達加斯加很可能是許多腔棘魚亞種的“中心”，這就是為什么必須采取當?shù)睾蛧H保護措施來保護這些比恐龍還要早的特殊物種。