Coelacanth

About the Coelacanth

Thought extinct for 65 million years until found alive in 1938 off South Africa - the greatest zoological discovery of the 20th century. They are more closely related to land vertebrates than to most fish. They have lobed fins that contain bones homologous to human arm bones. They give birth to live young after a 3-year pregnancy - one of the longest gestation periods of any animal. They live at 150-700 meters depth. Their oil-filled swim bladder acts as a lung remnant. They have remained virtually unchanged for 400 million years. Only two species are known. They are critically endangered.