Animals / Fish

Coelacanth

Latimeria chalumnae · Latimeriidae

Coelacanths are an ancient group of lobe-finned fish (Sarcopterygii) in the class Actinistia. As sarcopterygians, they are more closely related to lungfish and tetrapods than to ray-finned fish. There is only a single living genus, Latimeria, with two described species.

Where the Coelacanth lives

Recorded in Comoros, Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique and Madagascar (Africa).

Most records fall in Andjazîdja, KwaZulu-Natal, Atsimo-Andrefana, Moûhîlî and Andjouân.

See the Coelacanth’s range on the globe

Conservation status

Critically endangered (CR). In very great danger of dying out in the wild. Categories are the IUCN Red List as republished by GBIF.

Sources

The range is a density of 69 georeferenced GBIF records, not an expert-drawn map. Description from Wikipedia.