First record of a living coelacanth from North Maluku, Indonesia

Coelacanths are arguably one of the most emblematic and evolutionarily-important of the marine vertebrates. To date, only two species are known globally: the West Indian Ocean Coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae, found in the Mozambique Channel, from Southern Africa to Comoro Islands, and the Sulawesi Coelacanth, L. menadoensis, found off Sulawesi and Western New Guinea in Indonesia. The latter species has been much less documented than its African congener, and due to the difficulty of reaching the deep-reef habitats it lives in, very few in situ observations were made, and only from submersibles or Remotely Operated Vehicles. We report here the first observations of an adult coelacanth in the North Maluku Province of Indonesia and the first in situ images taken by divers of an Indonesian coelacanth, after successfully identifying suitable ecosystems during previous deep technical dives. This discovery contributes to our understanding of the biogeography and ecology of this vulnerable species and provides additional insights about its natural behaviour. Ultimately, we expect this work to help addressing coelacanth conservation in Indonesia, in an international context of dramatic biodiversity decline and natural ecosystems destruction.