Where Does West Indian Ocean Coelacanth Live?
Latimeria chalumnae
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Open the appWest Indian Ocean Coelacanth lives in specific habitats. Knowing where to look helps you find and identify it.
Where to find West Indian Ocean Coelacanth
- Water type
- saltwater
- Depth
- Typically found at depths of 100 to 400 meters (330 to 1,300 feet), occasionally deeper.
- Environment
- Deep-water volcanic caves and rocky reefs, often associated with submarine canyons. Requires stable temperatures and low light conditions.
- Geographic range
- Primarily found off the Comoros Islands (Grande Comore, Anjouan), with smaller populations off the coasts of South Africa (Sodwana Bay), Mozambique, Tanzania, and Madagascar. This distribution defines the West Indian Ocean Coelacanth.
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