coelacanth

[ see-luh-kanth ]

noun

1. a crossopterygian fish, Latimeria chalumnae, thought to have been extinct since the Cretaceous Period but found in 1938 off the coast of southern Africa.

coelacanth

/ ˈsiːləˌkænθ /

noun

1. a primitive marine bony fish of the genus Latimeria (subclass Crossopterygii ), having fleshy limblike pectoral fins and occurring off the coast of E Africa: thought to be extinct until a living specimen was discovered in 1938

coelacanth

/ sē′lə-kănth′ /

1. Any of various fishes of the group Coelacanthiformes or Actinistia, having lobed, fleshy fins. Coelacanths are crossopterygians, the ancient group of lobe-finned fishes that gave rise to land vertebrates. They were known only from Paleozoic and Mesozoic fossils until a living species ( Latimeria chalumnae ) was found in the Indian Ocean in 1938. A second Latimeria species was described in 1999.

Other Words From

• coe·la·can·thine [see-l, uh, -, kan, -thahyn, -thin], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of coelacanth¹

1605–15; < New Latin Coelacanthus originally a genus name, equivalent to coel- coel- + Greek -akanthos -spined, -thorned, adj. derivative of ákantha spine, thorn

Word History and Origins

Origin of coelacanth¹

C19: from New Latin coelacanthus, literally: hollow spine, from coel- + Greek akanthos spine

Example Sentences

This is the case with nautilus and another bellwether species, the coelacanth.

From Nautilus

Plus, species with a slow reproductive rate, such as coelacanths and the great ape, are particularly vulnerable to environmental or man-made changes.

From Popular-Science

Ernande says his team is uncertain why every coelacanth specimens deposit bold bands every fifth year.

From Popular-Science

Scientists have observed very few coelacanths partially due to their mysterious behavior—they spend most of the day clustered together in volcanic caves.

From Popular-Science

Fishing, channel dredging, submarine blasting, and deep-water port construction, all threaten coelacanths, classifying the creatures as endangered and threatening their 360-million-year run on the planet.

From Popular-Science

The coelacanth fishes from the Rock Lake shale are part of the varied fauna collected from Garnett.

From Project Gutenberg

A synopsis of the coelacanth fishes of the Yorkshire Coal Measures.

From Project Gutenberg

All are of the coelacanth type, having Y-shaped neural and haemal arches, without centra.

From Project Gutenberg

The knoblike antotic processes on the basisphenoid are unlike those of any other known coelacanth.

From Project Gutenberg

Coelacanth fishes from the continental Triassic of the western United States.

From Project Gutenberg