West Indian Ocean coelacanth

Latimeria chalumnae is a large, deep-water lobe-finned fish found in the western Indian Ocean. Its fleshy paired fins and lineage, once known only from fossils, distinguish it among living vertebrates.

Coelacanth: A group of lobe-finned fishes represented today by two species in the genus Latimeria. The West Indian Ocean coelacanth is one of the two living species in this fish group.
Rostral organ: A sensory structure in a coelacanth's snout, associated with detecting weak electrical fields. It may help the fish locate prey in dark underwater caves.
Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer: A South African museum curator who recognized the first known modern coelacanth specimen in 1938. Her recognition brought this species to scientific attention after it was presumed extinct.
Coelacanth genome: The sequenced DNA of a coelacanth, used to study its evolution and relationships to other vertebrates. Genomic comparisons with this species help reconstruct changes in the lineage leading to tetrapods.
Lobe-finned fish: A fish whose paired fins are supported by fleshy, muscular lobes containing bones. Its paired fins place it within the lineage that also includes lungfish and tetrapods.
Intracranial joint: A movable joint dividing the coelacanth skull into front and rear portions. The joint allows coordinated skull movement during feeding.
J. L. B. Smith: A South African ichthyologist who identified and described the modern coelacanth discovered in 1938. Smith named Latimeria chalumnae after examining the specimen Courtenay-Latimer had found.
Coelacanth conservation: Efforts to monitor and protect coelacanth populations and their deep-water habitats. Slow reproduction and accidental capture make the species vulnerable to population decline.
Latimeria menadoensis: The Indonesian coelacanth species described from specimens found near Sulawesi. It is the only other living coelacanth species and occurs far east of this species.
Coelacanth locomotion: The swimming and fin movements used by coelacanths to maneuver underwater. Its paired fins move in an alternating pattern, aiding maneuvering near reefs and caves.

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Indonesian coelacanthCompared with: It is the Indonesian coelacanth’s only living congener.