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Summary: A history of discovery.
Review: Weinberg's book is a fascinating account of the discovery of the most famous "living fossil," the coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) of the coasts of Africa and Madagascar in the 1930s. But the author does not confine herself to that intial discovery, and includes an account of subsequent finds, as well as an overview of the significance of the coelacanth to evolutionary biology. A wonderfully written book, great for readers of all ages (it might be an ideal book for getting a younger reader interested in science). Weinberg has also included an extensive second appendix, directing those who'd like to see a coelacanth up close to museums that have specimens in their collections.
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Summary: News Flash! Rare Fish Discovers Human Predators
Review: What should you do if you are a fish thought to be extinct for millions of years, and suddenly humans discover you? You should really give some serious thought to finding a better place to hide. Ms. Weinberg tells the exciting story of the 1938 discovery of this rare fish, and the continual efforts to obtain more of them. You immediately develop an affectionate bond with this strange, yet beautiful, creature that hides in rocky caves far from the surface of the ocean. Its fins are almost like limbs; its tail is like that of no other fish; it likes to stand on its head; its babies are born live; it seems to use magnetic fields to find its prey; its brain is the size of a grape.Understandably scientists wanted to see more of these fish on their dissection tables, and to date more than two hundred coelacanths have ended up there. Bounties were established for their capture, and the Japanese wanted to get a live specimen. Fortunately conservationists were reasonably quick in getting regulations established for old "four legs'" protection. The fish cannot live in captivity: It overheats in surface temperature water, and the bright sunlight blinds it. It's really sad when a scientist has to state that if the coelacanth prospers in other locations hopefully we won't find them. I experienced some frustration in my reading. As a layman with a strong interest in science I came to tire of the extensive human biographies found in the book, and wanted to learn more about the fish itself. Fortunately there is a 9-page appendix in the back of the book that discusses the anatomy and physiology of the coelacanth. Still there could have been some more accessible science in this book. On the other hand "A Fish Caught In Time" is an important, necessary work.
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Summary: Four Legs Good Two Legs Bad
Review: While there are very many fish that have become extinct and very many species that we have yet to identify, the coelacanth is very special. It is thought to hold the key to the first creature to move from the sea to the land, the first fish to walk. A South African Scientist JLB Smith wrote a book on the subject called 'Old Fourlegs' conveying one of the unique characteristics of the fish - its four limb like fins and puppy dog tail. Much of this book focuses on the obsessive work of JLB Smith who not only identified the first specimen but who then spent his life searching for a second and to finding their home territory. I thought Samantha Weinberg drew out the characters in a very lively way: Smith, the archetypal obsessive scientist, his intelligent and devoted wife, and Marjorie Latimer the young museum curator who first recognised that the 5-foot fish lying on the deck of a fishing boat was a very special catch. Weinberg is less warm in her treatment of the teams of Japanese and Chinese scientists who descended upon the Comoros offering to pay high prices for Coelacanth specimens when the 'French scientists only' rule was lifted. Her ire was fuelled by the information that a tiny drop of the coelacanth's spinal fluid was fetching thousands of dollars on the black market, as it was believed to have special powers. But the black side of this book is not the image I was left with. It is a small book but an uplifting tale of the passion of scientists, of the excitement of discovery, the secret of evolution, and the mystery of the oceans.
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