Coelacanths and Lungfishes: Sarcopterygii - Coelocanths, Lungfishes, And People, Coelacanth (latimeria Chalumnae): Species Accounts, South American Lungfish (lepidosiren Paradoxa): Species Accounts - PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DI

COELACANTH (Latimeria chalumnae): SPECIES ACCOUNTS
SOUTH AMERICAN LUNGFISH (Lepidosiren paradoxa): SPECIES ACCOUNTS

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Coelacanths (SEE-lah-kanths) and lungfishes have rounded, fleshy fins. They are closely related to four-footed land vertebrates (VER-teh-brehts), or animals with a backbone.

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE

Coelacanths live on both sides of the Indian Ocean. Lungfishes live in South America, Africa, and Australia.

HABITAT

Coelacanths live in caves deep in the ocean. Lungfishes live in slow-moving rivers, swamps, lakes, floodplains, and ponds.

DIET

Coelacanths are opportunistic (ah-per-too-NIS-tik) bottom feeders, meaning that they take advantage of whatever is available at the bottom of their water habitat. Lungfishes are predators (PREH-duh-ters), or animals that hunt and kill other animals for food.

BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTION

Coelacanths give birth to live young. Lungfishes reproduce by external fertilization (FUR-teh-lih-zay-shun), meaning that eggs, or female reproductive cells, and sperm, or male reproductive cells, unite outside the female's body.

CONSERVATION STATUS

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists one species of coelacanths as Critically Endangered, meaning that it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. Lungfishes are not threatened or endangered.