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Coelacanth
Latimeria chalumnae
Critically Endangered
Location
Indian Ocean (off South Africa and Comoros)
Size
1-2 meters (3-6 feet) long
Diet
Carnivore
Habitat
Deep ocean caves and rocky slopes
About This Animal
The coelacanth was thought extinct for 66 million years until a living specimen was caught in 1938. This 'living fossil' has lobed fins that move like limbs and is closely related to the first fish that walked on land. It can live over 100 years and doesn't reach maturity until age 55.
Amazing Facts
Thought extinct for 66 million years until rediscovered in 1938
Lobed fins move alternately like a walking animal
Can live over 100 years and pregnancies last 5 years
Has a primitive lung and can detect electrical fields
One of the closest living relatives to land vertebrates