It is an extremely rare species of fish, which is known as a living fossil. Palaeontologists have discovered fossils of coelacanth believed to be 66 million years old belonging to the Cretaceous era.
Coelacanths first evolved 400 million years ago. It was long believed to be extinct, but in 1938, a living coelacanth was found off the coast of South Africa.
Recent Sightings: Though it is a very rare species, a study in the South African Journal of Science noted that as of May 2020, as many as 334 coelacanth captures had been documented, with a recent sighting in Madagascar in March 2019.
Genus: Latimeria, a rare genus of fish which contains the only living species of coelacanth.
Species: It includes two species: the West Indian Ocean coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) and the Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis).
IUCN Status: The West Indian Ocean coelacanth is a critically endangered species
