Latimeria chalumnae

Latimeria chalumnae, commonly known as the West Indian Ocean coelacanth, is a species of coelacanth, a type of lobe-finned fish. It is one of only two extant species of coelacanth, the other being Latimeria menadoensis, or the Indonesian coelacanth.

Taxonomy

The species was first described in 1938 by J.L.B. Smith, a South African ichthyologist, after a specimen was found off the east coast of South Africa. The species was named after Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, the museum curator who discovered the first specimen, and the Chalumna River, near where it was found.

Description

Latimeria chalumnae is a large fish, typically measuring up to 2 meters in length and weighing up to 80 kilograms. It has a unique lobed fin structure, with the fins extending away from the body like limbs. The body is covered in thick, rough scales, and the coloration is a deep blue or slate color.

Distribution and habitat

The West Indian Ocean coelacanth is found in the Indian Ocean, primarily off the east coast of Africa, from South Africa to Kenya, and as far east as the Comoros Islands. It inhabits deep-sea caves and canyons, at depths of between 100 and 500 meters.

Behavior and ecology

Latimeria chalumnae is a nocturnal species, spending the day in deep-sea caves and emerging at night to feed. Its diet consists primarily of cephalopods and small bony fish. The species is ovoviviparous, with females giving birth to live young after a gestation period of up to three years.

Conservation status

The West Indian Ocean coelacanth is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, due to its low population size and the threat posed by deep-sea fishing.

See also

• Coelacanth
• Latimeria menadoensis
• Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer
• J.L.B. Smith