coelacanth
nounUK /ˈsiːləkænθ/
US /ˈsiːləkænθ/
A coelacanth is a big, old fish with thick fins that people thought was gone forever until one was found alive.
Scientists were amazed when a fisherman caught a living coelacanth near the coast.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A member of an ancient group of fishes that first appeared hundreds of millions of years ago.
The coelacanth belongs to a group of fishes that lived long before the dinosaurs.
3. A fish known as a 'living fossil' because it looks almost the same as its ancient relatives.
Because it has changed so little over time, the coelacanth is often called a living fossil.
4. Any of two species of large, rare, deep-sea fish with unusual fleshy fins.
There are two known kinds of coelacanth, and both live in deep ocean waters.