Modern Coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae

What's in a Name?

J.L.B. Smith named the first known species of living coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae. The genus name, Latimeria, honours Marjorie Courtney-Latimer, the curator of the East London Museum who originally recognized the importance of the fish. The species name, chalumnae, records the Chalumna River, in recognition of the first specimen, which was trawled near the mouth of this waterway.

a.k.a.: coelacanth (SEE-la-canth)

The word coelacanth is derived from Greek and means "hollow spine". Coelacanths have hollow, fluid-filled, cartilagenous spines called notochords.