von Wahlert 1962). They are gentle

von Wahlert 1962). They are gentle benthopelagic drift
hunters and do not touch the bottom. The alternating
paired fins nevertheless move in a tetrapod fashion,
originally connected to hydrodynamic functions but
probably a preadaptation for the tetrapod's step (Fricke
& Hissmann 1992).
Coelacanths share some unique morphological features
with fossils which do not occur in any other living
fish: the intracranial joint, the rostral organ and the
small supplementary epicaudal fin. For the first time
the functions of these features could be studied and
older predictions tested: the intracranial joint by
Thompson (1970), the rostral organ by e.g. Northcut
(1980), the epicaudal fin by Hissmann & Fricke (1996).
Also a first glance at the physiology of the soft tissues
was possible (review in Locket 1980). Latimeria
chalumnae maintains its body fluid osmolarity near that
of sea water by urea retention similar to osmoregulation
in chondrichthians (Griffith & Pang 1979). The respiratory
physiology revealed the lowest values for resting
oxygen consumption within the fish world (Hughes
1976), corroborating the first in situ observations: the
extremely sluggish and energy-saving mode of life.
Coelacanths offer the possibility of testing several
existing hypotheses in evolutionary biology on the
existence and survival of living fossils and on the question
of coexistence with modern fish. Thus they are of
high educational benefit for students of diverse biological
disciplines and for a wider audience.