# Coelacanth (*Latimeria chalumnae*)

> The coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) is a lobe-finned "living fossil" fish of deep rocky reefs off the Comoro Islands and South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal coast. Adults weigh around 80 kg, hunt smaller fish and squid at night, and are Critically Endangered because of tiny, slow-breeding populations.

- **Category:** Fish
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Critically Endangered
- **Range:** Deep waters off the Comoro Islands and South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal coast.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/coelacanth/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Actinopterygii
- **Order:** Coelacanthiformes
- **Family:** Latimeriidae
- **Genus:** Latimeria

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Latimeria chalumnae |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Habitat | Deep rocky reefs and submarine caves |
| Lifespan | Around 60 years in the wild (varies by population and captivity). |
| Weight | About 80 kg typical adult mass (sex and region vary). |
| Top speed | Up to roughly 10 km/h when moving at speed. |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered (IUCN) |

## Lobe fins and an intracranial joint

Fleshy, limb-like fins move in a walking-like pattern underwater. An intracranial joint lets the snout lift while feeding. Once known only from fossils, Latimeria stunned science when rediscovered in 1938 off South Africa.

## Nocturnal deep-reef hunter

By day they shelter in submarine caves; at night they drift-hunt fish and cephalopods. They do not chase at high speed. Across its range it is tied to deep rocky reefs and submarine caves, and field accounts emphasise this species’ distinctive ecology rather than generic habitat labels.

## Comoros and Maputaland depths

Deep rocky reefs and caves off the Comoro Islands and the KwaZulu-Natal / Maputaland coast of South Africa, typically hundreds of metres down.

## Critically Endangered relic

Very small populations, late maturity, and bycatch in deep-set fisheries keep Latimeria chalumnae Critically Endangered. A second species lives off Indonesia.

## Frequently asked questions

### Are coelacanths really living fossils?

They retain ancient lobe-finned features known from fossils, but modern Latimeria has also evolved — the phrase is popular shorthand, not a claim of zero change.

### When was the coelacanth rediscovered?

In 1938, when a specimen was brought ashore in South Africa; Comoran populations became known later.

### How deep do coelacanths live?

Often between roughly 100 and 400 m on rocky slopes and caves. Native range summary: Deep waters off the Comoro Islands and South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal coast.

### Why are coelacanths Critically Endangered?

Tiny range, low numbers, slow reproduction, and fishery bycatch risk.

### Do coelacanths live in Indonesia too?

A separate species, Latimeria menadoensis, lives in Indonesian waters; L. chalumnae is the African species.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/coelacanth/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.