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The coelacanth (pronounced SEE-la-canth) is a primitive lobe-finned fish (Crossopterygii) that appeared about 380 million years ago (about 150 million years before the dinosaurs appeared). The coelacanth's scientific name is Latimeria chalumnae (Genus species).

The coelacanth was thought to have been extinct for millions of years, but a living coelacanth was caught in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar, off South Africa, in 1938 (and others have been caught since then). Because of this, people often refer to the coelacanth as a "living fossil." Although the fishermen of Madagascar had known about this fish for years, scientists had no knowledge of it.

Anatomy: The coelacanth is about 5 feet (1.5 m) long. It has an internal bony skeleton and is covered with silvery-blue bony scales that serve as protection. It has a three-lobed tail, teeth only in the front of the mouth, and a jaw hinged to the skull in a way that lets it open very wide. Coelacanth means "hollow spine;" it was given this name because its vertebrae (backbones) are hollow. The coelacanth is ovoviviparous (it gives birth to live young; the eggs are fertilized internally and remain in the mother's oviduct until birth, the unborn young are nourished with yolk from their egg's yolk sacs, and not a placenta). .

Diet: Coelacanths are carnivores (meat-eaters).


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