West Indian Ocean coelacanth
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| phylum | Chordata | The West Indian Ocean coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) (sometimes known as gombessa, African coelacanth, or simply coelacanth) is a crossopterygian, one of two extant species of coelacanth, a rare order of vertebrates more closely related to lungfish and tetrapods than to the common ray-finned fishes. The other extant species is the Indonesian coelacanth (L. menadoensis).
West Indian Ocean coelacanth can reach up to 2 m (6.5 ft) in length. Adult females are slightly larger than males. It exhibit a deep royal blue color with spots used as a camouflage tactic for hunting prey. For more information, visit the Wikipedia entry. Get back to Lobe-finned fishes |
| class | Sarcopterygii | |
| order | Actinistia | |
| family | Latimeriidae | |
| genus | Latimeria | |
| species | L. chalumnae |
