Coelacanth

Coelacanth, meaning "hollow spine" in Greek; is a species of fish and represents the oldest lineage of living fish known to date. The coelacanth was believed to have been extinct since the end of the Cretaceous period — until a live specimen turned up off the east coast of South Africa off the Chalumna River in 1938. Since then, they have been found in the Comoros, Sulawesi ( Indonesia), Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and the St. Lucia Marine Protected Area in South Africa. It’s conservation status is now considered endangered.

The coelacanth is a lobe-finned fish with the pectoral and anal fins on fleshy stalks supported by bones, and the tail fin divided into three lobes, the middle one of which also has a stalk. The coelacanth has modified cosmoid scales, which are thinner than true cosmoid scales, which can only be found on extinct fish.

Coelacanths were believed to first appear in the Carboniferous Period, about 400-350 million years ago. The coelacanth, which is closely related to lungfishs, used to live in many bodies of water in prehistoric times. The average weight of the coelacanth is 176 pounds (80 kg) and they can reach up to 6.5 feet (2 m) in length.

They are the only living species known to have a functional intercranial joint, a type of hinge that aids in the consumption of large prey. Coelacanths are also mucilaginous; their scales release mucus and their bodies continually exude oil. This oil is a laxative, and makes the fish almost inedible unless dried and salted.