Coelacanths

Scientific name : Coelacanthes

Coelacanths are bony fishes, belonging to the order Crossopterygia. They appeared on the Earth during the Devonian period (400.000.000 years ago), to disappear almost completely at the end of the Cretaceous, 65.000.000 years ago, together with the dinosaur extinction. Presently 2 living species are known.
They have pectoral and ventral fins with an articulated pedoncle, almost a primitive limb. Furthermore, the nostrils are communicating with the mouth cavity (unlike the other fishes, where nostrils are simple cups, used only to smell), therefore can be used for respiration.
Due to these charachters, coelacanths are considered the ancestors of all the terrestrial four legged animals.
They are large size fishes (maximum 2 m long), with stalked fins, large head, strong teeth, tail with a prominent central lobe.
Coelacanths are deep water fishes (150-300 m), they live along the deep slope of volcanic islands, spending the day in caves, looking for preys at night. They feed on fishes and cephalopods. Females are ovoviviparous, they give birth to living youngs. When they do not drift in the current, they swim moving pectoral and ventral fins in an alternating manner which resembles a horse at slow trot.
They have been confused from the fishermen catching them with the oil fish (Ruvettus spp.), another deep water fish, not included in this site. Anyway the shape of the fins is unique.
The species Latimeria chalumnae was described based on a specimen accidentally fished in South Africa, in 1932. Later a population of the same species was repeatedly observed at the Comores (Indian Ocean), and for a long time this was considered the only living population of an extinct order.