Coelacanth: Learn about the coelacanth

Learn about the coelacanth, a living fossil fish with unique features and two known species. Discover its anatomy, diversity, evolution, ecology and conservation status. Coelacanths are elusive, deep-sea creatures, living in depths up to 2,300 feet below the surface. They can be huge, reaching 6.5 feet or more and weighing 198 pounds. Scientists estimate they can... Coelacanth Profile The Coelacanth (pronounced SEEL-UH-CANTH) was once presumed extinct until one was discovered off the south Coast of Africa in 1938. This was considered Coelacanths were thought to have been extinct for 70 million years until one was found alive in 1938. What on Earth? The unexpected capture of a living coelacanth in the 1930s was 'the most sensational natural history discovery' of the century.