The Coelacanth is a species of animal which belongs to the Animalia kingdom. The Animalia kingdom involves all of the species of animals in the world today. They also belong to the subclass known as the Actinistia. A subclass ranks a species biological classification. The Actinistia subclass involves several different species of lobe-finned fish.
The Coelacanth is one of the oldest species of animals alive in the world today, the species itself has survived for 360 million years. Therefore, the Coelacanth goes as far back as near or around the Devonian period. The Devonian period is also known as ‘the age of the fishes’.
These incredible fish have survived through several periods in the earth’s history, including the Jurrasic era. The Coelacanth is so resilient that they have survived several mass extinction events throughout the earth’s history. These extinction events are:
The Permian-Triassic extinction event (252 million yrs ago)
The Triassic-Jurassic extinction event (201 million yrs ago)
The Jurassic extinction event
The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event (66 million years ago)
The other mass extinction event was the Devonian extinction event.
We are also said to be living in the earth’s sixth mass extinction event right now. The earth’s sixth mass extinction event is also called the Holocene extinction. The Coelacanth has been incredible in not just how long they have survived, but also more incredible for existing most, or perhaps all, of the earth’s mass extinction events. The question is: can the Coelacanth survive this mass extinction event? Can Coelacanth survive the Holocene extinction event?
We don’t know if the Coelacanth will show resilience again and survive the earth’s Holocene extinction. However, what we do know is that these animals are critically endangered today.
Up until recently, it was thought the Coelacanths were extinct. These prehistoric animals were thought to have been extinct for 65 million years. It was thought until recently that Coelacanths became extinct during the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, which is the mass extinction event which killed off the dinosaurs - this mass extinction was thought to have been caused by an asteroid. It was only in the 1930’s that Coelacanths were found to be still existing.
How Many Species Of Coelacanths Are There?
There are two different species of Coelacanths living today. The first Coelacanth species living today is the West Indian Ocean Coelacanth. And, the second Coelacanth species existing today is the Indonesian Coelacanth. The West Indian Ocean Coelacanth is critically endangered. And, the Indonesian Coelacanth is thought to be vulnerable today.
What Is The Diet Of Coelacanth?
Coelacanths eat a wide range of different marine animals, which might explain how they have been resilient and survived so long.
Coelacanths eat animals such as different species of fish and also squid.
What Is The Habitat Of Coelacanths?
Coelacanths are fish, therefore, they are marine animals. They can be found in habitats such as caves and rocky reefs in the wild.
What Are The Scientific Names Of Coelacanths?
The scientific name for the West Indian Ocean Coelacanth is: Latimeria chalumnae.
And, the scientific name for the Indonesian Coelacanth is: Latimeria menadoensis.
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