Table 1 lists the main international expeditions
searching for coelacanths following the discovery of
the second specimen. In the 1950s, due to French
colonial politics, foreign expeditions were not
allowed to enter Comorian waters. In 1954 Jacques
Cousteau and his team used deep-diving techniques
but failed to find a coelacanth. In 1969 and 1972, 2
joint expeditions were initiated by the Royal Society
and by American and French scientists. Samples of 2
caught coelacanths were distributed to 30 laboratories.
The first investigations of blood physiology,
composition of body fluids, osmoregulation and other
physiological aspects marked the beginning of research
on the soft tissues (e.g. Forey 1980, Locket
1980). A special volume [McCosker & Lagios 1979)
was devoted to studies from the 1972 expedition and
a further expedition by the California Academy of
Science in 197