Facts about Coelacanth

1. 07

   A second living coelacanth population was discovered in 1997 near Sulawesi, Indonesia, representing a distinct species named Latimeria menadoensis.

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2. 06

   Coelacanths possess a specialized electroreceptive organ called the ampullae of Lorenzini that detects electrical fields generated by muscle contractions in prey organisms.

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3. 05

   Lobed fins with skeletal structures resembling limb bones allow coelacanths to crawl along the ocean floor at depths between 200 and 700 meters.

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4. 04

   At roughly 2 meters long, the modern coelacanth weighs between 80 and 100 kilograms, making it a substantial predator despite its ancient lineage.

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5. 03

   Coelacanth brains occupy less than 1.5 percent of their cranial cavity, with the remaining space filled by fatty tissue and cerebrospinal fluid.

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6. 02

   In 1938, a coelacanth specimen was discovered off South Africa, shocking scientists who believed the species had been extinct for 66 million years.

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7. 01

   The coelacanth's eggs develop inside the mother for nine months before live young are born, making them ovoviviparous like some sharks.

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