5 Prehistoric Fish Still Alive Today

In this video I will be going through 5 prehistoric fish that are still alive today. In the modern day there are very few reminders on the large creatures that roamed the earth, with some of the few reminders being fossils and the oil that we use to power our cars. There are a few animals alive today that have survived since the dinosaurs roamed the earth. This so called living fossils are normally very well adapted to survive this long. In this video i will be going through some prehistoric fish that are sometimes known as living fossils.
Attributions
Gar images:
NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
www.flickr.com...
USFWS Midwest Region
www.flickr.com...
James St. John
www.flickr.com...
Dave Edens
www.flickr.com...
Joachim S. Müller
www.flickr.com...
Coelacanth images:
Earth Touch
www.flickr.com...
mickaushy
www.flickr.com...
Mr. Evil Cheese Scientist
www.flickr.com...
Bruce A.S.Henderson
commons.wikime...
creativecommon...
Bowfin images:
NYS DEC
www.flickr.com...
Petroglyph
www.flickr.com...
J E Theriot
www.flickr.com...
Greg Laden
www.flickr.com...
Phil's 1stPix
www.flickr.com...
Bowfin footage:
Angling Anarchy
/ @anglinganarchy
Sawfish images:
Jonathan (Jon) Armbruster
www.flickr.com...
Simon Fraser University - Communications & Marketing
www.flickr.com...
FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
www.flickr.com...
Bichir Images:
Jin Kemoole
www.flickr.com...
lapradei
www.flickr.com...
naturald
www.flickr.com...
Steven G. Johnson
commons.wikime...
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
Coelacanth fossil:
Ermell
commons.wikime...
Sawfish fossil:
Hectonichus
commons.wikime...
Gar fossil:
James St. John
www.flickr.com...
Bass image:
Rawpixel Ltd
www.flickr.com...
Lobe finned fish:
Nobu Tamura
spinops.blogspo...
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
Prehistoricplanes
commons.wikime...
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
Spinosaurus image:
Nobu Tamura
spinops.blogspo...
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
Our first prehistoric fish is the bowfin. The bowfin is a air breathing north American predatory fish. These living fossils are mainly nocturnal and hunt other fish as well as a variety of invertebrates.
Our next prehistoric fish are the coelacanths. There are two coelacanth species still alive today but for a long time coelacanths were thought to have gone extinct millions of years ago until some live specimens were discovered in 1938.
Our next living fossils are the sawfish. there are 5 species of sawfish still alive today and although they may look like sharks they are actually members of the ray family. Sawfish are in trouble today as their saw are easily caught up in fishing nets.
Our next prehistoric fish are the gars. Gars are some of the meanest looking predatory fish alive today and there are 7 species still on the planet today. like the bowfin they are able to breathe atmospheric oxygen meaning they can survive in a wide range of habitats.
our final prehistoric fish are the bichirs. Bichirs are mainly found in Africa today in heavily vegetated swamps. Bichirs are some of the most diverse living fossils with around 12 species still existing today.
What is your favourite prehistoric fish?
Let me know in the comments below?
Thanks for watching I hope you enjoyed :)

[@BrandonAAA95]

I genuinely do not understand how this man only has 1/20th of the subscribers he deserves. The production quality is just so good. I can't get over it

[@kenet362]

Unfortunately not many people are into the fish hobby, some people just think it’s boring and nerdy

[@jcman-lp6lg]

@@kenet362 not really I like the guy am subbed to the guy and deep sea/fresh water creatures are actually really popular on youtube but this channel is a bit boring. He doesn't really do anything to differentiate himself from other nature related youtubers. Just some pictures and clips that is talked over.

[@kayagorzan]

Yes indeed, quite underrated

[@Mike-tg7dj]

I subscribed. He sold me on the Gar because it is an ancient fish. I have seen this in pools where the rivers, streams, and creeks overflow their banks to pool in low lying areas. I don't know what draws them out of the river to those areas, maybe it was the muddy turned up soil. I have heard that Bowfins are an invasive species.

[@fishandlaugh9407]

My new video for 4 Prehistoric fish :kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKicoWStZtOCY6c

[@Alamito24]

Thanks for illuminating the fact that there are 2 species of Coelacanths. I've been fascinated for years with this fish, reading anything I could find and watching every video available I could about the critter. Wow! Now you reveal that there are 2 species extant, one quite recently discovered. You made my day!

[@purplehaze2358]

Saying living Coelacanths were discovered is a little questionable. From what I understand, local fishermen have always known of their existence. They just weren't aware of their significance.

[@smoothnoodle4653]

I would love to see more of this series.

[@TsukiCove]

I'll make some more soon :)

[@uwuowo4856]

@@TsukiCove B)

[@enderfury-3639]

@@TsukiCove Africa did once have a bichir the size of a man named Bawitius which lived in the same place and at the same time as Onchopristis and Spinosaurus in an area paleontologists call the River Of Giants

[@jericocager694]

Mosasaurus I want to know about mother sorces are there around today they start finish

[@fishandlaugh9407]

My new video for 4 Prehistoric fish :kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKicoWStZtOCY6c

[@Saltytacos]

Bless this guy for converting all the units he uses

[@lordot8665]

0:40 I caught a large paddle fish in the Wisconsin River when I was 16. It weighed in at 60 pounds!

[@lorenzob7826]

you sure it wasn’t a spoon bill?

[@GHock-sf8hu]

@@lorenzob7826 they’re the same thing just different names

[@voiceofreason2674]

@@GHock-sf8hu yep paddlefish spoonbill sturgeon spoonbill cat, all the same fish. Minnesota down to Louisiana is basically where they’re left in healthy numbers

[@theguywhoasked3392]

Quality video as alway, wonderful job man

[@TsukiCove]

Thanks man i appreciate the support :)

[@masteroftheallfish1332]

@@TsukiCove bull (male) Black Caiman vs. Aisha and Flora Harmonix

[@Runch78]

this might be a stretch but the prehistoric kem kem basin had a ton of really interesting fish (which still have relatives today). i think itd be cool if you covered it.

[@catpainter00]

YESSS

[@donaldseigel4101]

Excellent video, Bowfin range is from Southern Canada to the Southern USA. In Louisiana they are called Choupique, in the south they are often called "mudfish". Bowfin is one of my favorite fish, and I have seen them in the wild hiding in cover just chilling out gently modulating their fins.

[@voiceofreason2674]

They have a million names but choupique is so well known because a lot of people in the south do like to eat them fried with sausage the same way you can eat gar balls

[@walkflx]

good job tsuki i am currently in the hospital and on life support if i stop wishing you good job i wish you and your channel the best

[@donaldseigel4101]

Godbless, I am praying for you friend.

[@walkflx]

@@donaldseigel4101 appreciate you donald

[@chrisbosco8135]

Respect for bringing up the bowfin, my favorite fish and extremely underrated

[@69911fcuk]

Same here

[@jeremyblackwater439]

Same. 🎣

[@thoyson2562]

Awesome thanks for posting quality videos all the time

[@dasfabelwesen]

That is a great idea! Paleontology plus fish that are alive makes for great episodes! Chimaera maybe?

[@derronjohnson3379]

Tsuki you've really outdone yourself! Two videos in one week 🐊🐟🐠 and excellent content as usual

[@gerhardmaree]

Your research is what makes your videos worth while. Thank you kind sir.

[@TsukiCove]

thank you i really appreciate it :)

[@monkeymode7529]

I had the blessing of catching a young sawfish while in Florida, which I of course released and reported to a conservation organization, truly a wonderful creature. I hope we can preserve them.

[@fishandlaugh9407]

My new video for 4 Prehistoric fish :kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKicoWStZtOCY6c

[@CatchingDinosaurs]

super cool video thanks for sharing

[@catpainter00]

Sturgeon and paddlefish are also of course prehistoric dating back to the Late Cretaceous but I'm sure based off the footage shown, you were already aware of that. Other living fossil fish I can think of would include frilled sharks which have a very primitive shark body plan and I've also heard Arapaima are extremely old as well. Lungfish are also very ancient but after seeing your lungfish video, I know you're aware of that. The last fish I would suggest would be billfish and specifically swordfish, because their 20 foot long, double-billed ancestor known as Xiphiorhynchus, dates back to over 20 million years ago. I found your channel less than a week ago and really enjoy it because marine biology and paleontology are my greatest interests, plus your content is top quality. Keep up the amazing work man!

[@clauzellblackshear2057]

Yes sturgeons are old they even still look prehistoric and paddlefish

[@TylerAnderson-mf2po]

Great video man. Gar always scare me.

[@TsukiCove]

thanks i appreciate it, yeah they do look a little scary but they're mostly harmless

[@StephenKuriyan]

Bowfin aren’t just in the northern U.S. and Canada, they’re all over! I live in Texas and they’re caught down here I’ve caught some (always catch and release) and in many other southern states like Louisiana and Alabama! It’s considered a sport fish down here. Great video Tsuki!

[@athuljohn649]

You are awesome mahn . I'll be Waiting for your next awesome video

[@TsukiCove]

Thanks man i appreciate it and i'll keep them coming :)

[@eleazargarcia3265]

amazing video! i love your editing style

[@fishandlaugh9407]

My new video for 4 Prehistoric fish :kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKicoWStZtOCY6c

[@FRix73]

5:50 this "rostrum" part is the best :D Great editing mate, cheers!

[@liveyourfullliveabmworld1647]

Nice video keep it up

[@TsukiCove]

Thank you, will do :)

[@kevinwhite9138]

your predation animations make me so happy

[@davidjameslloricoramos2199]

Thanks for the video.

[@TsukiCove]

no problem :)

[@davidjameslloricoramos2199]

I have a suggestion.How about making a "numerous fish" series or a "food fish" one.

[@aquaboi8662]

Pls continue this series. They are really informative and such high quality. Keep it up!

[@malnutritionboy]

haha i love the editing in this video.

[@TsukiCove]

haha thanks it takes forever

[@benmcreynolds8581]

I love the animations and editing. I love your channel. It really brings such a great easy to digest information about how interesting Nature is. Nature is awesome.

[@ZIEGENBOCK2306]

Many thanks^^ For talking about the coelocanth

[@waynebenham2813]

Really enjoyed this video, thank you. Please feature the Arapaima sometime.

[@trapjaw86]

The saw fish has got to be one of my favorites.another great video dude

[@meowtacles4725]

Good video, these are all cool fish!

[@loongieliew4726]

My favourite fish is the coelacanth.Sadly,they are endangered.

[@bbbrockbiggar3785]

Same thing

[@gr00t3]

I had a alligator gar once it died after 2 days for some reason

[@liveyourfullliveabmworld1647]

my one is still alive

[@sauraplay2095]

Great video sir!

[@alloislife8493]

Great vid as always I don't know why I find arapaima scary maybe it's because of river monsters I love that show

[@fishandlaugh9407]

My new video for 4 Prehistoric fish :kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKicoWStZtOCY6c

[@eliottlibert-do8ff]

This is why I saw unknown fishes in the aquarium

[@radirandom]

I caught a 8lb Bowfin once, and man they fight hard, and they taste al rights,. Sadly, in Ontario, there is no limit for them unlike Largemouth bass, Pike, and Walleye or Salmon.

[@mvhpets]

great video as always. i would one day love to have a african lungfish. they are Living fossils and seem so interesting! 😃

[@rajb5595]

Thank you so much 💓

[@aceundead4750]

Bowfin tastes amazing. Gotta go fast to keep the meat from breaking down entirely into a mass of fibers, can only save it for up to 3 days in the freezer otherwise when it thaws it separates into a fibrous mess.

[@christopherbolling4073]

Look forward to you including the jawless fish in this series

[@MadMatt787]

If you ever make it to Chattanooga Tennessee you should really check out the aquarium there, they have bowfin, gar, and bichirs all on exhibit there.

[@Nolano386]

I know around these parts our favorite dinosaur fish is the sturgeon. There's an old photo of somebody with a 1,500 pound sturgeon they pulled out of the Snake River, probably the single largest freshwater catch in our state's history.

[@hobojoe357]

I have to say those bichir eels are super cool and inexpensive pets. Having a little dinosaur for $5 is awesome, just make sure you look into proper care. Definitely one of my favorites.

[@goldengin3877]

Not a eel is actually a ray finned fish dinosaurs are great because they stay around 10 inches all the other bichirs get bigger my favorites would be ornates and gold dust theyre the most pretty but have the worst attitude

[@goldengin3877]

Gold dust get around 20 inches but grow very slow remember they can live 20 years ornates get 30+ inches

[@hobojoe357]

@@goldengin3877 "eel" is just what they call them in stores. Bichir eels or dinosaur eels, thing's like that.

[@goldengin3877]

@@hobojoe357 i guess ray finned fish doesnt roll off the tongue lmao

[@fishandlaugh9407]

My new video for 4 Prehistoric fish :kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKicoWStZtOCY6c

[@MrBeeznutz]

Love the mention of the bowfin, we currently have a 6 inch juvenile bowfin, such a cool fish.

[@fishandlaugh9407]

My new video for 4 Prehistoric fish :kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKicoWStZtOCY6c

[@Mixedpuppy]

Great video!!! Yeah Sturgeon and Paddlefish are in that category too. Some people dive in certain places like quarries in Ohio and see Paddlefish. Some people purposely fish for Paddlefish by snagging them with treble hooks. I’m told they are surprisingly good to eat.

[@tylermaclean475]

Can't wait for more! These new series are super awesome! Deep water could be another series. Or extremophile fish. That would be really cool!

[@KniFz]

Please never change your intro

[@HaroldCrews]

Probably nearly all fish are prehistoric. Prehistoric just means dating from a time before written history. Writing has only been around for between four and five thousand years at most. You have an excellent channel which I enjoy watching. Thank you for putting out your videos.

[@grantgarrod2232]

The number of fish species that are living fossils has always amazed me, & their long history so little known or respected. Among sport fisherman, the oldest species tend to have the most solid reputations for adaptability & survivability, & nearly all have well-earned reputations for being tremendous fighters on a hook & line. It's always a thrill for me to land a living creature whose ancestors thrived amongst the dinosaurs, it's like taking a time machine back to primeval history.

[@vaimlune8055]

And of course there are the super adorable giant isopods!

[@gavinhaney535]

Funny, I caught my first bowfin (or dogfish where I'm from) the other day. They really are prehistoric looking, and are probably one of my favorite freshwater fish. I threw them back obviously.

[@praoteccy]

new video lets goooooooo !!

[@mkrock1026]

Love from India

[@arnaldorentes5371]

Congratulations for your work! In the continuation of this video, I suggest the pirarurucu, Arapaima gigas. I think it's also a "living fossil".

[@fishandlaugh9407]

My new video for 4 Prehistoric fish :kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKicoWStZtOCY6c

[@jerrychacon8814]

You could add the sturgeon fish, the fish shown at 8:44 minutes I believe is a sturgeon? Also add sharks.

[@imbored3005]

you could also add arapaima and sturgeon

[@daniellemarcantel2487]

I have a pair of fossil sawfish barbs. They're such cool fish!! 😄

[@popgas3821]

I didn’t know they were called Bichirs, but when I was very young we have one in our aquarium and the store were I bought it calls it Dragon Fish.

[@voiceofreason2674]

Louisiana has tons of bowfins and paddlefins but we call them choupiques and spoonbill sturgeons. Also we might still have a few sawfish nurseries in the barrier islands but they have become extremely rare

[@sbs8898a.mp4]

Love to see the Goblin shark in the video even though they are only in the deep ocean so there is probably little to no clips of them

[@rex_rss0666]

I own two Alligator Gar they are 1 foot long and knowing they are living dinosaurs makes me feel like in jurassic world now lol thanks for the video Tsuki!!

[@fishandlaugh9407]

My new video for 4 Prehistoric fish :kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKicoWStZtOCY6c

[@otherdarkbullet32]

Bowfin is a helluva fighter. And they GET a lot bigger than is recorded. They are located near where fossils are found quite often. Here in Mississippi anyway.

[@brewskimckilgore6796]

crazy i didnt know gar were so ancient 😳 my cousin fished what i think was an alligator gar out of a popular lake/park in MD, i dont swim there too much anymore lmao but we called it a pickerel? idk if thats a different species or just a silly common name but super neat

[@jeremyblackwater439]

Pickerel are different fish than gar but also “toothy” and fun to catch

[@matthewsweeney1593]

Love the prehistoric fish types especially bichir and bowfin.

[@bostonbob9667]

more videos please very interesting

[@joakimlager2477]

U could do about different kinds of Piranhas? Must be at least 5 u can choose between. U do it so good! Cross my fingers...

[@MeNameJaef]

I caught a 26 inch bowfin yesterday! Such an awesome creature. (Catch and release)

[@jtmcgee]

I caught a Bowfin while catfishing as a kid. it was one hell of a struggle, we kept it alive brought it to school and then released it.

[@Nanoscape30]

I love my delhizi and orinate birchir there so cool to keep!

[@hydraxc2478]

Love your vids. Here are some ideas, high altitude fish, hybrid fish, and specific area fish, like the congo river has 600 plus species. Even in Utah we have localized species nowhere else. Thanks for your time. 😌✌

[@Bacopa68]

Gar are awesome. The Trinity River in Texas is full of them. They used to be licensed for open fishing, but now gar are restricted. Mosquitofish are everywhere and we love them. Every ditch is full of Gambusia. No problems here in their native range, and we love them because they kill invasive snails. Gambusia are murder guppies. No bright fins, 100% drive to kill. The mothers give live birth to few but well-formed babes. They are like molly babies rather than guppy babies this way.

[@annaprashan]

Very nice

[@1TakoyakiStore]

One of the scariest sounds I've ever heard was an alligator chowing down on a gar... 😱

[@haydenhodgson5948]

Top 5 biggest canadien fish species please, or top 5 biggest trout species Thank you

[@luiscoelho77]

Hi. Just one note. Even if the exterior of that fishes are exactly like their ancestors, the interior (cellular base) continue to evolve, just not visible to us. All species continue to evolve constantly, just there are a few that doesnt change too much externally. Thanks for the video and have a good day.

[@fishandlaugh9407]

My new video for 4 Prehistoric fish :kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKicoWStZtOCY6c

[@matteliano454]

Bowfins are not just Southern Canada and Northern USA. I am in south Georgia and bowfins are plentiful here.

[@yamantisshrimp2808]

More! I'd recommend frilled shark

[@sharavp4148]

You should do a top 5 biggest fish of all time

[@jpease3602]

When I was nine I caught a bowfin it was one of the first fish ever caught and it was a humongous fish it was almost as big as me

[@fishandlaugh9407]

My new video for 4 Prehistoric fish :kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKicoWStZtOCY6c

[@pirate_duck4985]

As someone that has owned nearly every species of Bichir in the 20+ Years I've had Aquariums & currently have an Endlicheri aka Saddled Bichir, the Polypterus Family are nothing short of spectacular! My Endli is quite interactive, she loves my son! My wife is certain she wants to eat him lol! She'll always come out to say hello to him & he adores her! A few people asked me if I'd get colouful fish to go with her (They'd end up as food!) But if we say to my son & he's 10 Months Old, wave to Poly he will, he knows exactly who she is. Most cant say that about their children that have a tank full of Tetra! I will say though, they eat A LOT, even if you try to keep things a bit more "natural" & don't feed them multiple times a day, they'll want feeding at least 3 or 4 times a week & as they grow those meals grow with them! I actually wanted to get a pair of Mokele Mbembe Bichirs which only grow to around a foot in length but they were IMPOSSIBLE to track down! Ended up finding Poly at a shop i go to fairly regularly, she's a captive bred fish. Something I will say about this Pandemic, if it's done one good thing? People are breeding more & more instead of catching large specimens to sell for a quick profit. They cant just catch a ton of different species & sell them, so they've been keeping the bigger or prettier variants to breed from. My Saddled Bichir an African Species for literally millions of years? She's from Thailand! This Pandemic at the very least should help certain species of fish regenerate their wild population as locals might still be catching them for food say? But the Aquarium Trade cant get to catch them so they're captive breeding. It's difficult but these people have fish farms with acres of land! They're not in a tank haha they're in big outdoor ponds with similar habitat.

[@jsaquaarts4508]

My first Poly is CB P. senegalus, then now present i have Wild Caught Polypterus bichir, but mine known before as P. Lapradei but they are synonymized Pbb and Lapradei are synonymized and now called Polypterus Bichir only Same as Polypterus palmas palmas and palmas buetikoferri, synonymized now as Polypterus palmas. And i have another bichir its called Polypterus weeksii

[@pirate_duck4985]

@@jsaquaarts4508 You've got a really nice collection! Synonymized meaning different names for the same species is how you're using it correct? Sorry wanted to check! The Weeksii are AWESOME! Lower Jaw Species are pretty interesting to watch, I've never managed to track down a Weeksii which bugs me haha! To say I've owned almost if not all currently alive species of Bichir I actually need most of your collection funnily enough haha! Lapradei, Weeksii & then as mentioned I need to track down a pair of Mokele Mbembe Bichirs but they're extremely hard to come by especially with the Pandemic, they were confused for Lapradei I believe too(?) I can't remember off the top if my head which genus they were lumped in with, it's a fascinating read that paper though.

[@jsaquaarts4508]

@@pirate_duck4985 nice bro mokes are hard to find these days, most common specimen in our lfs here in Philippines are Nigerian Pbs, Weeksiis, Congicus, wc senegals, etc Means that PBB and Lapradei are combined like that but not literally combined, lapradei and pbb are one Same as palmas palmas and palmas buet, its like Palmas buet is the bandless delhezi of Palmas

[@Shaden0040]

Lungfish, sturgeon, paddlefish, tarpon, sixgill shark. Alligator Gats can and do inhabit the gulf of Mexico as well as up the Atlantic seaboard as far up as Cape Cod. Gars are euryhaline species which means they can travel from fresh water to salt wter and back again without any harm donero the fish. Many live bearers such as gyppies and mollies, Garm puffers, flatfish, Salmon and char, sturgeins are euryhaline fish as well.

[@krazymuncher2288]

Can we have more fish updates?

[@Runch78]

this is gonna be a good one

[@deann5kids]

Us Cajun folk call the bowfin the choupik and they are so hard to scale cause of their thick skin / scales

[@terryfarmer2979]

I have caught Bowfin in the East Fork of the Trinity River here in Texas. They are locally known as Grinnel and are considered a trash fish. We use small frogs caught on the bank for bait.

[@rooterdaddy6889]

The range of the bowfin is much further south than you indicted. In fact, the world's record largest bowfin fish caught in the United States (South Carolina) weighed 21 lbs. 8 oz. (9.8 kg).

[@Shaden0040]

neither sharks, rays, nor skates have scales like fishdo. They have denticles, like their teeth and are made of dentine. so their bodies are covered in minature teeth so a sawfish's teeth are teeth modified from their denticles.

[@chelloulomoloy127]

Yesterday, I saw a Coelacanth looking like fish int he market here in Philippines, but it's relatively small and has red spots.

[@trashmemes1233]

I have Bowfin and spotted gar in my lake I have seen them both but haven’t been able to catch one :(

[@vaughnj6927]

If you live in Wisconsin, Frame park in Waukesha has lots of bowfin!

[@ANTSEMUT1]

The coelacanth wasn't first rediscovered in South Africa, it was first rediscovered in the Comoros islands off the coast of eastern Madagascar so in the Mozambique Channel.

[@rsoud9562]

the eyes on the fish tails is for feeding by herding smaller fish closer to there mouths. you can watch peacock bass do pretty effectively

[@cesarpagan4640]

The natives used to use the gars scales for arrowheads

[@nasman1765]

Bro do the goblin shark they’ve been around for 451 million years

[@fahoodie1852]

Nurse sharks. This shark, as a species has existed for 112 million years and might be the oldest vertebrate species still alive today

[@benmcreynolds8581]

Gollum sneakhead, oarfish, lungfish, frilled shark, arapaima, hagfish, lancetfish, arowana, nautilus, sunfish.

[@MrFlamPlum]

I have a png of a ceolcanth in my computer, and me and all my friends named it Big Gubba.

[@dontmindmyname1234]

cute

[@Rodneytheproducer1986]

So I take it the bowfin likes Cajun food LOL now that's my type of fish