Coelacanths "Latimeria Chalumnaelumnae"

The scientific name of a coelacanth

By Hunter Thompson, Alex Caton, Steven Haer, and Taylor Brady

Coelacanths are large fish long thought to be extinct, but in recent years were found to still be alive. On December 23,1938 a fisherman found a live coelacanth in the Chalumna River east of South Africa, and they have continued to be found ever since.

Coelacanth populations are very low, so the 6.5 foot long fish is considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

•A coelacanth can grow to a length of 6.5 feet but the average is around 5 feet•In the wild a coelacanth can live to be up to sixty years old•Coelacanths live at depths ranging from 600 to 1000 feet•Coelacanths are some of the oldest creatures on Earth

The scientific classification system is a way forscientists to better know the animal they’re studying because if they don’t know the animalthat they’re studying then they wouldn’t know whatprecautions to take if anything were to happen tothe animal. So another words it just makes it easier for scientists

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: SarcopterygiiOrder: CoelacanthiformesFamily: LatimeriidaeGenus: Latimeria

A diagram of a coelacanth’s body

The coelacanth appears on the 5-Franc coin in Comoros. A coelacanth has

a total of 8 fins.

1. What year was the first live coelacanth discovered?

A. 1956 B. 1922 C. 1938 D. 2001

2. How many fins do coelacanths have?A. 2 B. 8 C. 6 D.4

3. Where was the first live coelacanth discovered?A. The Caspian Sea B. The Amazon River C. Off the coast of Japan D. The Chalumna River

4. What is the average length of a coelacanth?A. 5 feet B. 6 feet C. 3 feet D. 10 feet

5. What is a coelacanth’s lifespan?A. 10 years B. 30 years C. 60 years D. 100 years

Courtesy of ARKive.org.

• www.arkive.com

• www.nationalgeographic.org

• www.dinofish.com

• www.enchantedlearning.com

This has been a production of Mrs. Floyd’s class group 4

No coelacanths were harmed during the making of this production.

Special thanks to ARKive.org for their video contribution

Produced by Hunter Thompson, Alex Caton, Steven Haer, and Taylor Brady