The Comoros consists of three primary islands: Ngazidja, Mwali, and Nzwani. The island of Mayotte, also part of the Comoros archipelago, is under French administration, but claimed by the Comoros. In a recent referendum, the people of Mayotte voted overwhelmingly to retain their status within the French community.
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Latimeria chalumnae - The fossils records available from the Devonian period depict various species of coelacanth ranging from 15 to 152 centimeters in length. It was thought the coelacanth was extinct because a lack of fossil evidence dating it later than the Cretaceous period could not be found. In 1938, a live specimen closely resembling its ancient relative was recovered and has focused new attention onto this living fossil. The current status of the fish has placed it on the critically endangered list.
