FaunaHub
CRCritically EndangeredPartial review

West Indian Ocean Coelacanth

Latimeria chalumnae

At a glance

IUCN category
CR · Critically Endangered
Animal group
Fish
Population trend
Decreasing
Last verified

Conservation overview

The coelacanth is a 'living fossil' fish once thought extinct for millions of years until rediscovered in 1938. The African species is assessed as Critically Endangered.

It has fleshy, limb-like fins and belongs to a lineage close to the ancestors of land vertebrates.

Range & habitat

Deep waters off eastern Africa, including around the Comoros.

Major threats

Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.

  • Accidental capture by deep-set fishing gear
  • A very small, slow-breeding population

Why it matters

A famous living link to deep evolutionary history, the coelacanth is a scientific treasure whose tiny, slow-breeding population leaves it acutely vulnerable.

A deep-water 'living fossil' lineage once thought extinct until rediscovery in 1938.

Sources

Sources for West Indian Ocean Coelacanth

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the coelacanth called a 'living fossil'?
Its lineage was known only from fossils and thought to have died out tens of millions of years ago — until a living coelacanth was caught off South Africa in 1938, astonishing scientists.
Why is the coelacanth Critically Endangered?
Published assessments cite accidental capture in deep-set fishing gear and a very small, slow-reproducing population. See the IUCN Red List for the current assessment.

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