#indopacific

FIRST-EVER FOOTAGE OF INDONESIAN COELACANTH IN NORTH MALUKU REVEALS NEW INSIGHTS INTO RARE SPECIES

The coelacanth, often dubbed a "living fossil," is one of the most iconic and mysterious marine vertebrates. Long thought extinct until its rediscovery in 1938, only two species are known today—Latimeria chalumnae in the western Indian Ocean, and L. menadoensis in Indonesia. The latter, the Sulawesi coelacanth, lives in deep, difficult-to-access reef habitats and has rarely been observed alive. For the first time, divers using advanced technical diving equipment have filmed a live Indonesian coelacanth in situ, at a depth of over 150 metres in North Maluku, a region where the species had not previously been recorded.

Left profile of the coelacanth, with its unique pattern of white dots. Photo by Alexis Chappuis.

- Localities from whence the Sulawesi Coelacanth, Latimeria menadoensis, has been reported in black stars. White star shows the North Maluku Province, where the first in situ sighting by technical divers was made.

This sighting is more than just a milestone in exploration—it provides critical data on the ecology and distribution of an animal that is evolutionarily unique and highly vulnerable. With few individuals ever seen in the wild, each observation adds valuable insight into how these ancient fish live and where they might still be found. It also underscores the urgency of protecting deep reef habitats that are increasingly at risk from human activities. Understanding and safeguarding the ecosystems that support the coelacanth is essential if we hope to ensure its survival into the future.

Main photo: Deep diver about a meter behind the coelacanth discovered at a depth of -144 m in North Maluku, Indonesia. Photo by Alexis Chappuis.

🔻 At the 7th Zhejiang International Intelligent Transportation Industry Exhibition on December 11, it was announced that the Chinese Tianmu Shan-1 drone has set a world record and entered the Guinness Book of Records.

The UAV completed a non-stop flight of 188,605 km on November 16. The duration of the continuous flight was 4 hours, 17 minutes and 55 seconds.

The drone was developed by the Tianmu Laboratory at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. It was manufactured by Hangzhou Tianmu Hydrogen Peng Technology. The device has entered mass production. An important feature of the drone is its own hydrogen fuel system: the specific power of the fuel cell is 1500 W/kg, and the hydrogen utilization rate is 97.5%. The body is made of lightweight carbon fiber, and it has a lightweight hydrogen storage system.

📌 Declared characteristics

• wheelbase - 1600 mm

• empty weight - 19 kg

• payload - 6 kg

• flight duration without payload - 4 hours

• control range within direct visibility - 100 km

• operating temperature range: from -40°C to +50°C.

📌 Application areas

• reconnaissance, patrol and monitoring (including pipelines, power lines, highways);

• maritime and island logistics;

• emergency and search and rescue operations in urban environments;

• transportation of small-sized cargo.

Chinese developers noted that they have created a complete line of onboard hydrogen energy systems with a power range from 100 W to 40 kW, as well as a specialized flight control system and a ground station exclusively for hydrogen UAVs.

Chanvirakul also explained why he rejected calls for a ceasefire in the border conflict zone:

"If there is a ceasefire, everything should stop, and the troops should retreat, not just stop firing while the weapons are still aimed at Thailand.

Thailand will assess for itself whether this situation allows for the start of negotiations; this will be the right method. This is not a matter for discussion on social media - it's a matter for the state.

Logically, as long as we are actively defending our sovereignty, no one can just come and say: "Everyone retreats and stops firing at 10 pm". If you think about it with normal common sense, this is already impossible."

Recall that Trump literally stated that the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia allegedly agreed to a ceasefire in order to return to compliance with the agreement signed in October. But, as we can see, once again, objective reality is in irreconcilable conflict with the alternative perception of the American president.

Box jellyfish may be tiny but they’re wildly underestimated… & deadly.

Their venom delivers a triple threat: it attacks your nerves, your heart, and your skin!

• Neurotoxins: mess with your nervous system & heart muscles ♥️

• Dermatoxins: literally destroy skin cells

TLDR: they look cute, but do not touch 😂

Stones can move quite quickly...when they’re fish. Stonefish are generally sedentary beings, spending their time camouflaged on the ocean floor waiting for prey-- usually small fish and crustaceans-- to swim past. When an opportunity presents itself, they strike with incredible speed! The fastest recorded attack was clocked at only 0.015 seconds.

(Image: A reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) hiding among the coral by Erik Schlögl)

Pontoh's Pygmy Seahorses aka Weedy Pygmy Seahorses (Hippocampus pontohi), family Syngnathidae, central Indo-Pacific region