Blancpain Presents Face to Face with the Coelacanth
Blancpain has unveiled a new 12-minute documentary, Face to Face with the Coelacanth: A Story Revealed by Laurent Ballesta & Alexis Chappuis. It chronicles the first-ever filmed encounters with both known living species of coelacanth, a prehistoric fish long thought to have vanished from Earth. The project was made possible through the brand’s ongoing support of marine exploration.
A Survivor from Deep Time
The coelacanth is one of the most significant biological discoveries of the 20th century. Once believed to have been extinct for around 70 million years, it re-emerged in scientific awareness in 1938 when a specimen was caught off the coast of South Africa. Today, two species are known: the West Indian Ocean coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) and the Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis), discovered in 1997 near Sulawesi.
Evolutionary Significance
These fish belong to the lobe-finned group Sarcopterygii, which also includes lungfish and the earliest land vertebrates. Their paired fins contain bone structures strikingly similar to tetrapod limbs, offering valuable insight into the evolutionary leap from water to land. Features such as a hinged cranium and cosmoid scales preserve traits lost in most modern fish.
Life in the Depths
Coelacanths inhabit steep underwater slopes and caves at depths ranging from around 150 to more than 700 metres. They are slow-moving predators, feeding mainly on fish, squid, and crustaceans. Individuals can grow up to two metres long and weigh over 90 kilograms. They are also known for their exceptionally long gestation period, lasting up to 22 months, with young developing inside the female until birth.
Conservation Challenges
The West Indian Ocean coelacanth is listed as critically endangered, with fewer than 500 estimated to exist. The Indonesian species is considered vulnerable. Both face threats from accidental capture in deep-sea nets, disturbance of their habitats, and inherently low reproductive rates.
