African coelacanth
Quick Summary
The African coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) is a lobe-finned bony fish belonging to the genus Latimeria. Coelacanths, named for their hollow fin spines, first appeared around 400 million years ago during the Devonian Period. They were once thought to be extinct until a living specimen was discovered in 1938.
Modern coelacanths are large predators, averaging 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and weighing about 100 pounds (45 kg). They are slow-growing and long-lived, with some individuals estimated to live up to 100 years and reach sexual maturity between 40 and 69 years old. These fish are live-bearers, giving birth to well-developed young after a gestation period of about five years. They inhabit mesopelagic waters at depths of 650ā1,300 feet (200ā400 meters).1
There are two living species: the African coelacanth (L. chalumnae) found in the Indian Ocean near Africa, Madagascar, and the Comoros, and the Sulawesi coelacanth (L. menadoensis) found near Sulawesi, Indonesia. Both species are considered threatened, with the African coelacanth classified as critically endangered and the Sulawesi coelacanth as vulnerable.1
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