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What the sources say

CoelacanthLatimeria chalumnae

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Coelacanth profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 53 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

NOAA Fisheries

African Coelacanth. NOAA Fisheries.

The page saysThought to have gone extinct over 65 million years ago, then found alive in 1938
The source saysThe species was believed to have gone extinct over 65 million years ago but was rediscovered off the coast of South Africa in 1938
The page saysa pregnancy of around five years, possibly the longest of any vertebrate
The source saysgive birth to live young after a very lengthy gestation period of approximately 5years, which is the longest gestation period of any vertebrate speciesNote: NOAA states the record flatly; Mahé et al. 2021 hedge it ('gestation duration (of around 5 years) ... possibly the longest gestation'), so the page keeps 'possibly'.
The page saysCephalopods, eels, cuttlefish and deepwater fish, hunted by drifting slowly at night
The source saysThe coelacanth is a slow nocturnal drift-hunter and eats a variety of benthic and epibenthic prey, such as cephalopods, eels, cuttlefish, and deepwater fish
The page sayscan grow up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) long
The source saysLength Up to 6.5 feetNote: 6.5 ft converts to about 2 m. The 2020 KwaZulu-Natal paper's largest recorded fish (179 to 190 cm) fall within it.
The page saysMales reach maturity between 40 and 69 years old, and females between 58 and 66
The source saysMale coelacanths reach maturity between 40 and 69 years. Female coleacanths reach maturity between 58 and 66 years
The page saysFemales give birth to live young after carrying them for around five years, possibly the longest gestation of any vertebrate
The source saysFemale coleacanths reach maturity between 58 and 66 years and give birth to live young after a very lengthy gestation period of approximately 5years, which is the longest gestation period of any vertebrate speciesNote: NOAA states the record flatly; Mahé et al. 2021 hedge it ('gestation duration (of around 5 years) ... possibly the longest gestation'), so the page keeps 'possibly'.
The page saysA joint at the back of its skull lets it open its upper and lower jaws at the same time
The source saysa unique joint at the back of the skull that allows them to open their upper and lower jaws at the same time
The page saysAt night the coelacanth is a slow drift-hunter, eating cephalopods, eels, cuttlefish and deepwater fish
The source saysThe coelacanth is a slow nocturnal drift-hunter and eats a variety of benthic and epibenthic prey, such as cephalopods, eels, cuttlefish, and deepwater fish
The page saysGetting caught by accident in fishing gear has historically been its biggest threat
The source saysHistorically, fisheries bycatch has been the most significant threat to the coelacanth
The page saysIn 2016 the United States listed the Tanzanian population as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act
The source saysIn 2016, NOAA Fisheries listed the DPS as threatened under the Endangered Species Act
The page saysit drifts slowly through the night
The source saysThe coelacanth is a slow nocturnal drift-hunterNote: vibe.reason, settled in #181

Source
02

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Latimeria chalumnae (coelacanth). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page sayswith fleshy fins that move like a four-legged animal's legs
The source saysTheir seven fins have fleshy lobes and they move their two paired sets of fins (pectoral and pelvic) in a diagonally synchronous manner like a four-limbed terrestrial animal
The page saysUnderwater caves in the Indian Ocean off East Africa, about 100 to 200 meters down by day
The source saysBiogeographic Regions indian ocean native native Habitat During daylight hours, coelacanths gather in caves roughly 100 to 200 m below the water surfaceNote: ADW gives the range as the Comoros and the African coast from Kenya to South Africa.
The page saysby day in the Comoros
The source saysthe walls of the caves in the Comoros where they spend their daytime hours
The page saysFleshy, lobed fins whose front and back pairs move in a diagonal rhythm, like the legs of a four-legged land animal
The source saysTheir seven fins have fleshy lobes and they move their two paired sets of fins (pectoral and pelvic) in a diagonally synchronous manner like a four-limbed terrestrial animal
The page saysFemales are larger than males
The source saysFemales are larger in size
The page saysIts fins are fleshy and lobed, and it moves the front and back pairs in a diagonal rhythm, like the legs of a four-legged land animal
The source saysTheir seven fins have fleshy lobes and they move their two paired sets of fins (pectoral and pelvic) in a diagonally synchronous manner like a four-limbed terrestrial animal
The page saysIn its snout sits a rostral organ believed to sense electric fields
The source saysCoelacanths have a rostral organ in their snouts that is believed to have an electroperceptive function
The page saysamong living vertebrates only coelacanths have one
The source saysUnlike all other vertebrates, coelacanths possess an intracranial jointNote: 'Coelacanths' covers both living species, so the page says only coelacanths, not only this species.
The page saysFrom the few feeding observations so far, it seems not to chase prey but to snap up anything of a suitable size that passes within 20 centimeters of the front of its mouth
The source saysFrom the few observations made so far of their feeding, it appears that coelacanths do not pursue prey, but will simply snap up any prey of suitable size which passes within 20 cm of the front of their mouths
The page saysIn the Comoros it spends the day in caves
The source saysthe walls of the caves in the Comoros where they spend their daytime hours
The page sayscaves roughly 100 to 200 meters down
The source saysDuring daylight hours, coelacanths gather in caves roughly 100 to 200 m below the water surface
The page saysfor a fish that seems not to chase its food
The source saysFrom the few observations made so far of their feeding, it appears that coelacanths do not pursue preyNote: vibe.reason, settled in #181; 'seems' carries ADW's 'it appears'
The page sayssnaps up prey that passes within 20 centimeters of its mouth
The source sayswill simply snap up any prey of suitable size which passes within 20 cmNote: vibe.reason, settled in #181

Source
03

Fraser et al. 2020

Fraser et al. (2020). Live coelacanth discovered off the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, South Africa. South African Journal of Science.

The page sayssubmarine canyons off South Africa
The source says24 coelacanths were identified in three submarine canyons at depths from 96 m to 133 m along a 48-km stretch of coast in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park
The page sayswhere a diver saw one at about 54 meters
The source saysmixed-gas diver Christo van Jaarsveld observed a coelacanth at a depth of about 54 m in Diepgat Canyon south of Sodwana Bay in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park
The page sayson 22 December 1938, a trawler working off East London, South Africa, hauled up a living one
The source saysWhen a living coelacanth was trawled off East London, South Africa, at a depth between 72 m and 100 m on 22 December 1938
The page sayswhere more than 200 had been recorded by 2020
The source saysPUBLISHED: 26 March 2020 ... L. chalumnae has since been found in the Comoros (over 200 specimens)Note: 2020 is the paper's publication date, the latest date the count can be said to hold.
The page sayswhich rarely grow past 150 centimeters
The source saysmale coelacanths rarely exceed 150 cm in length
The page saysone of the largest on record, a female caught off Mozambique in 1991, measured 179 centimeters and weighed 98 kilograms
The source saysthe largest coelacanths on record which include a 179-cm, 98-kg female caught off Pebane in Mozambique ... was caught between 40 m and 44 m on the continental shelf off Pebane in northern Mozambique in August 1991
The page saysThe 98-kilogram female caught off Mozambique was carrying 26 pups
The source saysA large coelacanth (179 cm, 98 kg; CCC 162), pregnant with 26 pups, was caught between 40 m and 44 m on the continental shelf off Pebane in northern Mozambique
The page sayswhile off South Africa a diver saw one at about 54 meters
The source saysmixed-gas diver Christo van Jaarsveld observed a coelacanth at a depth of about 54 m in Diepgat Canyon south of Sodwana Bay in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park
The page saysBy 2020 the species had also been recorded off Tanzania (over 70 fish), Madagascar (over 13), and Kenya and Mozambique (one each), and a colony was discovered off South Africa in 2000
The source saysPUBLISHED: 26 March 2020 ... Mozambique (one specimen, CCC 162) ... Madagascar (over 13 specimens) ... Kenya (one specimen, CCC 178) ... Tanzania (over 70 specimens) ... and a colony was discovered in the isiMangaliso Wetland Park in northern Zululand, South Africa, in 2000
The page saysOn 22 December 1938, a trawler caught a living coelacanth off East London, South Africa, at a depth between 72 and 100 meters
The source saysWhen a living coelacanth was trawled off East London, South Africa, at a depth between 72 m and 100 m on 22 December 1938
The page saysMuseum curator Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer saved the fish for science, and it was later identified and named by J.L.B. Smith of Rhodes University College
The source saysThe specimen was saved for science by the young curator of the East London Museum, Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer ... identified by JLB Smith of Rhodes University College ... Smith named it Latimeria chalumnae

Source
04

Amemiya et al. 2013

Amemiya et al. (2013). The African coelacanth genome provides insights into tetrapod evolution. Nature.

The page saysa find later called one of the greatest zoological discoveries of the 20th century
The source saysThis discovery turned out to be a biological sensation and is considered one of the greatest zoological finds of the 20 th century
The page saysIt took almost 15 years for a second one to turn up, in the Comoros Islands
The source saysIt took almost 15 years before a second specimen of this elusive species was discovered in the Comoros Islands
The page saysIts body looks much like coelacanth fossils at least 300 million years old
The source saystheir morphology is similar to that of fossils that date back at least 300 million years
The page sayswhich is why it earned the nickname "the living fossil."
The source saysThe morphological resemblance of the modern coelacanth to its fossil ancestors has resulted in it being nicknamed 'the living fossil'
The page saysScientists long debated whether the coelacanth or the lungfish is the closest living fish relative of tetrapods, the four-limbed land animals
The source saysClosest living fish relative of tetrapods The question of which living fish is the closest relative to ... has long captured our imagination: among scientists the odds have been placed on either the lungfish or the coelacanth
The page saysA 2013 study of its genome concluded that it is the lungfish
The source sayswe conclude that the lungfish, and not the coelacanth, is the closest living relative of tetrapodsNote: 2013 is the study's publication year (reference amemiya-2013).
The page saysfound that the coelacanth's protein-coding genes have changed at about half the rate of those in tetrapods since the two lineages split
The source saysthe coelacanth proteins tested were significantly more slowly evolving ... the substitution rate in coelacanth is approximately half that in tetrapods since the two lineages diverged
The page saysScientists long debated whether the coelacanth or the lungfish is the closest living fish relative of tetrapods, the four-limbed animals
The source saysClosest living fish relative of tetrapods The question of which living fish is the closest relative to ... has long captured our imagination: among scientists the odds have been placed on either the lungfish or the coelacanth
The page saysA 2013 study of the coelacanth's genome concluded that it is the lungfish
The source sayswe conclude that the lungfish, and not the coelacanth, is the closest living relative of tetrapodsNote: 2013 is the study's publication year (reference amemiya-2013).
The page saysThe same study found that the coelacanth's protein-coding genes have evolved more slowly than those of tetrapods
The source saysCoelacanth protein-coding genes are significantly more slowly evolving than those of tetrapods
The page saysNo.
The source sayswe conclude that the lungfish, and not the coelacanth, is the closest living relative of tetrapodsNote: FAQ 3 opener

Source
05

Nikaido et al. 2013

Nikaido et al. (2013). Coelacanth genomes reveal signatures for evolutionary transition from water to land. Genome Research.

The page saysBiologists once believed the coelacanth had died out in a mass extinction around 65 million years ago, because it disappears from the fossil record after the Late Cretaceous period
The source saysthe disappearance of coelacanths in the fossil record after the Late Cretaceous period led biologists to believe that coelacanths had died out during the mass extinction event around that period (65 million years ago [Ma])

Source
06

Mahé, Ernande & Herbin 2021

Mahé, Ernande & Herbin (2021). New scale analyses reveal centenarian African coelacanths. Current Biology.

The page saysA 2021 study of yearly growth rings on the scales of 27 coelacanths found it is among the longest-lived fish species, with a lifespan of probably around 100 years
The source sayswe use polarized light microscopy to study growth on scales based on a large sample of 27 specimens. Our results demonstrate for the first time nearly imperceptible annual calcified structures (circuli) on the scales ... supporting that the coelacanth is among the longest-living fish species, its lifespan being probably around 100 yearsNote: 2021 is the study's publication year (reference mahe-2021).
The page saysThe only two earlier studies had suggested a maximum lifespan of 20 years, an underestimate by a factor of five
The source saysOnly two previous studies ... have attempted to determine its age and growth. They suggested a maximum lifespan of 20 years ... show that maximal age of the coelacanth was underestimated by a factor of 5
The page saysthe 2021 scale study warned that its long, slow life means it may be more threatened than previously thought
The source saysAs long-lived species with slow life histories are extremely vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic perturbations, our results suggest that coelacanths may be more threatened than previously consideredNote: 2021 is the study's publication year (reference mahe-2021).
The page saysA 2021 study examined yearly growth rings on the scales of 27 coelacanths under polarized light and found the fish is among the longest-lived fish species, with a lifespan of probably around 100 years
The source sayswe use polarized light microscopy to study growth on scales based on a large sample of 27 specimens. Our results demonstrate for the first time nearly imperceptible annual calcified structures (circuli) on the scales ... supporting that the coelacanth is among the longest-living fish species, its lifespan being probably around 100 yearsNote: 2021 is the study's publication year (reference mahe-2021).
The page saysThe only two earlier studies had suggested a maximum lifespan of 20 years, underestimating its maximum age by a factor of five
The source saysOnly two previous studies ... have attempted to determine its age and growth. They suggested a maximum lifespan of 20 years ... show that maximal age of the coelacanth was underestimated by a factor of 5

Source
07

Musick 2000

Musick (2000). Latimeria chalumnae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2000: e.T11375A3274618.

The page saysIt is rated Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, in an assessment that dates from 2000
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Critically Endangered (CR).Note: Category read through GBIF's copy of the Red List; 2000 is the assessment's year (Musick 2000, DOI 10.2305/iucn.uk.2000.rlts.t11375a3274618.en), the latest the prefetch found.

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.