Fossil Fish Found Alive: Discovering the Coelacanth

by Sally M. Walker

Tracing the the scientific detective work that led to identification of this species, long thought to be extinct, Walker explores the habitat and physiology of the Coelachath. Illustrations.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Middle Grade

72 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Sally M. Walker has written science books for children, including Earthquakes, an NSTA/CBC Best Science Trade Book of 1997. She lives in DeKalb, IL.

Reviews

[Tina Haigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely fascinating! Honestly I had no idea how little I actually knew about fish, let alone prehistoric ones. The coelacanth is so interesting! It's awesome that a fish thought to be extinct, is still alive and well in the ocean's depths. It only lives in select remote locations, and the only reason modern science even knows of it's continued existence is because of a chance encounter between a scientist and a fisherman, after the latter accidentally caught one deep sea fishing. It makes me wonder what else is out there, lurking deep down in dark waters, waiting to be discovered. I highly recommend this book for ages 10 and up.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do have to say that I ended up being more than a trifle textually conflicted regarding Sally M. Walker's 2002 Fossil Fish Found Alive (which basically details the 20th century discovery of the coelacanth, a lobe finned fish only known from fossils and which had in fact been considered totally and utterly extinct for millions of years, and that yes indeed, it looks like the intended audience for Fossil Fish Found Alive is readers from about the age of eleven or so onwards, but with the coelacanth information and details provided by Sally M. Walker also making Fossil Fish Found Alive suitable for adult readers seeking a general and not overly complicated introduction to the coelacanth).

But sadly and also totally honestly, even though I did end up learning a huge and appreciated amount of interesting and enlightening information and details on the coelacanth as specific and very rare type of fish from my perusal of Fossil Fish Found Alive and definitely much that I in fact did NOT AT ALL know (regarding not only the discovery of the coelacanth and that it is in fact a bona fide so-called living fossil, but also meticulously researched details about what it looks like, what coelacanths might be eating, how they are thought to reproduce and the not insignificant barriers to studying and also conserving, saving the increasingly rare coelacanths, and that I also really appreciate how Sally M. Walker provides with Fossil Fish Found Alive a very detailed and wonderful bibliography featuring books, articles from periodicals and also online resources), sorry, but my reading pleasure (and my love of learning) has certainly been somewhat lessened for Fossil Fish Found Alive due to two rather annoying and frustrating factors (and enough so to only consider a three star rating for Fossil Fish Found Alive).

For one, although the contents and details regarding coelacanths and their surprising 20th century discovery appear to be extremely well researched and that I also much appreciate the textual absence of biological, scientific jargon from Sally M. Walker's narrative (since this certainly does make Fossil Fish Found Alive easy enough to understand even for readers at the younger end of the intended audience spectrum), well, both my adult self and also my inner teenaged reader have still found parts of Sally M. Walker's featured text, and in particular her writing style for Fossil Fish Found Alive rather a bit tediously dragging (and that Walker also rather seems to focus at times more on the individuals who discovered and are studying and doing research on the coelacanth than on the latter, on the fish itself, both annoying and frustrating).

Finally and for two and considerably more of an issue for me personally, I certainly am left wondering why with Fossil Fish Found Alive Sally M. Walker basically does not really ever thematically examine the status of the coelacanth as a fossil fish in any real detail, that she basically only points out that the coelacanth is a living fossil but never seems all that interested in trying to speculate, to consider why the coelacanth is in fact a living fossil, why it as a species, as a group of prehistoric fish survived for millions of years while basically all the other similar lobe finned fish (except for the rather peculiar lungfish) became extinct. And indeed, I do find this really an academic shortcoming from Sally M. Walker, since for me, a living fossil is primarily of interest because it is in fact a living fossil, because it has managed to survive (and that in Fossil Fish Found Alive Walker basically only focuses on the current status of the coelacanth and not really in any way sufficiently on it being a living fossil, this does rather bother and annoy me).

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The coelacanth!!!!!

[Adolfo Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book "Fossil Fish Found Alive" by Sally M. Walker, is about a woman named Courtenay Latimer who found a distinct fish, called Coelacanth, where it lives. The book also talks about how long the fish is and facts about it. It also explains about the evolution of a Coelacanth life.Ever since people heard that the Coelacanth was discovered people got Coelacanth fever. I recommend this book to people who want to learn more about fossil fish.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this fascinating. Saw a documentary about it on the National Geographic Channel and had to know more.

[Isabelle Wesner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, thought it was informative and something I could use in my classroom one day! Hopefully soon.

[Cassidy Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this YEARS ago and I checked it out several times from the library because it was so interesting!!

[Abbie Shawano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This informational book would be extremely appealing to young readers. The cover alone depicts a foreign looking fish and grasps the attention of whoever is looking at it. I thought that this book had a large amount of information and could be useful in any classroom. The pictures and descriptions were both filled with interesting facts and I wanted to learn more from the beginning. I think this book would be successful for many students.
The scientific information found within the book tells the story of what scientists thought was an extinct fish, found many many years later. The genre is based on informational and scientific studies, as are the elements found within. In a classroom, a teacher could let students choose a book of their liking that must be science related. Once the student reads it independently, he or she can comment or write about what they have learned and how it relates to their science class. In this case, the student could tell the teacher about this specific fish, where it is found, and when it is found. For extra help, the back of the book provides resources including a timeline and a map. This is a great way to incorporate geography and history into a science lesson. Also, the teacher could discuss what kind of environment or ecosystem this particular fish lives in.
The reading level for this book is difficult, but the pictures could help students a lot in determining what some words are. The information in the book is qualitative because there is so much knowledge and meaning to be learned. Although it is a longer book, the information within is important and useful. I would recommend this book to young readers who are open to new, adventurous findings.

[Raja99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been interested in coelacanths for a long time. I've been interested in fossils as long as I can remember, and one of the earliest books I checked out of the library had (I think) the phrase "living fossil" and a picture of an odd-looking fish on the cover. I thought that was a very strange idea; I imagined a fish encased inside a hard fossil shell swimming in the deep sea. When I read the book, I found out that "living fossil" was just a colorful phrase ... and I learned the story of the coelacanth, believed extinct for as long as the dinosaurs until a live one was discovered the same year my father was born.

(I really wish I could track down what that book was; unfortunately the phrase "living fossil" is too pervasive; the bibliography on dinofish.com has more than 100 hits! Eleanor Clymer's Search for a Living Fossil is about the right vintage, but I don't recognize the cover picture on LibraryThing [ http://www.librarything.com/work/1521273 ] .)

Anyway, I've been interested in coelacanths for quite a while. This is a particularly good book about them for younger readers; it covers the history and a bit of the science. I've probably read a half-dozen coelacanth books, and this one helped bring me up to date as of 2002.

(Finished 2009-08-04 13:57:02 EDT)

[Taryn Vogel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Reaction: Right off the bat, the title is very captivating and will draw readers in. When you start reading the book, it is set up to be captivating as well. The story does a great job following fossils and where they came from. It will be very easy for students to understand. I enjoyed some of the timelines at the bottom of the pages (page 6-7) that lays out different types of fish and animals that are now fossils. The real pictures and articles throughout the book used as illustrations do a nice job of bringing the story together. Sometimes with informational books they are hard to follow, so by using real world pictures students will be able to make connections to the books.

Purpose: This story would pair perfectly with a science lesson about fossils and other ancient artifacts. This book could be used as a stepping stone into the lesson. And then from there, the students could do their own research on an animal that is now extinct. More specifically, we will talk about dinosaurs and fish that are now known fossils. The students will have the opportunity to illustrate what they think the fossil looks likes, then we will find a picture of what the fossil really looks like and then do a comparison.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fossil Fish Found Alive details the discovery of the Coelacanth, a prehistoric fish thought to have been extinct for 70 million years, and the research and scientific discoveries that followed. The story of the Coelacanth is brought to life for readers through engaging text, black and white photographs of the first Coelacanth discovery and those that followed, color photographs of modern Coelacanth investigations and discoveries, diagrams and maps, and other primary sources. Walker helps the reader re-live these exciting discoveries by offering personal accounts and quotes from some of the scientists directly involved in the various Coelacanth studies, allowing the reader to “feel” the excitement and thrill that the Coelacanth scientists felt at the time. A timeline at the end accompanied by a corresponding map allows readers a nice overview of the major Coelacanth discoveries between 1938 and 2001. Fossil Fish Found Alive is captivatingly written and visually appealing; most young readers should find it to be a comprehensive and interesting telling of the Coelacanth discoveries.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

the coelacanth was a fish that many thought had went extinct 70 million years ago. No fossils of this fish have been found since then. Imagine the surprise when a live specimen was found in 1938. It turns out the coelacanth is not extinct at all but lives off the southern coast of Africa and India. Since 1938 researchers have been looking for and studying these amazing fish. There are still lots of things we don't know about the coelacanth, but researchers and ichthyologists are still looking for answers. Sally Walker did a great job detailing the hunt for these prehistoric fish. The way this book was written really builds anticipation for each discovery. I loved the many photos and illustrations and the details included by Walker. Highly readable nonfiction.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and well written. Easy to read with lots of facts. More of a middle school education book. Outdated (2001?) but gives lots of great history and facts.

CHECK OUT www.dinofish.com

I'm so getting a t-shirt for my birthday!

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent story about family of animals that disappeared from the fossil record 70 million years ago and then was found in a fisherman's net. Fascinating. A quick and interesting read.

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this older title on display in my local library and picked it up b/c I enjoy the author. Conversational, accessible, interesting.

[Captmashpea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good, great interesting look at the history of rediscovering this fish.
(hard copy).