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

Coelacanths and Lungfishes: Sarcopterygii - Coelocanths, Lungfishes, And People

Coelacanths and Lungfishes: Sarcopterygii - Coelacanth (latimeria Chalumnae): Species Accounts

Physical characteristics: Coelacanths have fleshy fins. Instead ofbeing made up of individual bones, or vertebrae (ver-teh-BREE), the backbone is a stiff tube. Coelacanths are bluish gray with white mark-ings. They weigh 110–198 pounds (50–90 kilograms). Female coela-canths can be as long as 6 feet (1.9 meters) and males as long as 5 feet (1.50 meters). Geographic range: Coelacanths …

Coelacanths and Lungfishes: Sarcopterygii - South American Lungfish (lepidosiren Paradoxa): Species Accounts

Physical characteristics: Lungfishes have eel-like bodies and long, thin pectoral and pelvic fins. The skeleton is mostly cartilage (KAR-teh-lej). These fishes have two lungs and small gills, or organs for obtaining oxygen from water. South American lungfishes can grow to a length of 4 feet (1.25 meters). They are dark brown or gray and have dark and light spots on the top and sides. Geographic ra…