Species Spotlight · 18 Jan 2024
The coelacanth was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1938 off the coast of South Africa. This ancient fish belongs to the lobe-finned fishes, with fleshy fins with bones and muscles, resembling the limbs of land animals. The two living species represent the only surviving members of a group that includes the ancestors of tetrapods (four-limbed vertebrates).
The coelacanth is a large and elusive fish that inhabits the deep waters of the Indian Ocean, capable of growing up to 2 metres long and weighing up to 100 kilograms. Its distinctive features include a blue-grey body, large scales, and a lobed tail, plus a hinged skull that allows it to open its mouth very wide and swallow large prey. It hunts at night on fish, squid, and crustaceans, using its lobed fins to move slowly and stealthily through the water.
Reproduction involves internal fertilisation and live birth, with female coelacanths carrying up to 26 embryos for more than a year before giving birth. Newborns measure approximately 35 centimetres and are independent immediately, with lifespans estimated to be up to 60 years.
The species faces significant endangerment, with an estimated fewer than 500 individuals existing in scattered locations across South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, the Comoros, Madagascar, and Indonesia. Threats include pollution, overfishing, and climate change.
This "living fossil" remains a valuable source of scientific information, and warrants continued conservation efforts.