coelacanth

American  

[see-luh-kanth] / ˈsi ləˌkænθ /

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 British  

/ 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 Scientific  

/ 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 Word Forms

• coelacanthine adjective

Etymology

Origin of coelacanth

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

Example Sentences

Landing a generational quarterback is supposed to be near-impossible, like finding a coelacanth, a cool midsize rental car, or a Journal sports columnist who knows what he’s talking about.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

Among those working with eDNA on board is coelacanth specialist Alex Masengi.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

The coelacanth is often called a "living fossil," once believed to have vanished millions of years ago before a live specimen was unexpectedly caught in the Indian Ocean in 1938.

From Science Daily • Oct. 31, 2025

Several of those compounds also trigger receptors in bony fish such as zebrafish and the “living fossil” coelacanth, and all of them taste bitter to humans.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 12, 2023

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

From A New Genus of Pennsylvania Fish (Crossoperygii, Coelacanthiformes) from Kansas by Echols, Joan