Latimeria menadoensis

Conservation status

Latimeria menadoensis is classified as a vulnerable species due to its limited distribution, small population size, and threat from bycatch in deep-sea fishing. After the discovery of the species, less than 10 examples have been recorded in Indonesia, which points to low population density. Its habitat specialization and the small known geographic range moreover made L. menadoensis vulnerable to local extinction threats. The fish is legally protected through the Minister of Forestry Regulation No. 7/1999. However, it continued to be caught by local fishermen; on November 5, 2014, a fisherman found a specimen in his net, the seventh Indonesian coelacanth found in Indonesian waters since 1998. Additionally, in 2000, the species became listed in CITES appendix I list meaning that it cannot be traded internationally. These measures establish the scientific and cultural importance of the coelacanth in the greatest way possible. It has now assumed a huge social significance in Indonesia where it is a point of local and national pride and is the emblematic species for marine conservation in the Southeast Asia. DNA studies and habitat conservation research are ongoing, and marine protected areas have been established