Jurassic coelacanth

digital model, mounted 3D print

illustrations of a Palaeozoic relative and a Cretaceous one

In the shallow marginal seas of the Late Jurassic, coelacanths were relatively diverse and common. The white-speckled coloration of today’s Latimeria is an adaptation to deep-water environments and mimics the shell-bearing invertebrates of the surrounding area. Therefore, a different coloration had to be chosen for a model of this Holophagus. The inconspicuous coloration with contour shading is therefore far from perfect. After all, the body shape differs only slightly from that of living coelacanths, so a passive drifting ambush position in the water just above the reef or soft ground can be considered likely. Perhaps we should have given the model a dark-on-dark mottling. The luxury issues of our work!