Known as the living fossil. Inhabits steep rocky shores, sheltering in caves during the day (Ref. 38425), with as much as 14 individuals in a single cave (Ref. 38426). Foraging singly over open substrate at night (Ref. 38426), it drifts passively with the current or swims slowly with its paired fins and its second dorsal and anal fins (Ref. 38427). May travel as much as 8 km at night searching for food and retreats to the nearest cave before dawn (Ref. 38426). Preys on fishes and squid (Ref. 26162). Beryx, Polymixia, Symphysanodon, apogonids, a skate, an eel and a swell shark have been known to be eaten (Ref. 11228). Its main enemies are likely to be large sharks (Ref. 26162). Ovoviviparous, with as much as 5-29 young (Ref. 11228, 37171). Gestation period estimated at 3 years, which would be the longest known in vertebrates (Ref. 30865). A small relative gill area (Ref. 38428) restricts coelacanths to a life 'in the slow lane', drift-feeding at night in cold waters and resting in slightly warmer caves for food consumption during day time (Ref. 38429). Recently, Prof Hans Fricke and associates have succeeded in observing and filming Latimeria in their natural habitat. Using a two-man submersible, Fricke found several coelacanths in depths of 120-400 m on the barren lava slopes off Grand Comoro. Coelacanths have distinctive white markings, and this allowed recognition of individuals and tracking of their movements. During the day, Latimeria retreat to caves, with as many as 13 fish crowded together in a single cave. Several individuals occupy overlapping home ranges, and Fricke never saw any aggressive encounters between coelacanths. By resting in caves (were there are no strong currents) the coelacanths save energy and avoid encounters with large predators (deep-water sharks). After sunset, the coelacanths leave their caves and drift slowly across the substrate, presumably looking for food, within 1-3 meters of the bottom. On these nightly hunting forays, the coelacanth may travel as much as 8 km; and before dawn they shelter in the nearest cave. While searching for prey, or moving from one cave to another, Latimeria appears to move in slow motion, either drifting passively with the current and using its flexible pectoral and pelvic fins to adjust its position, or slowly swimming by a synchronous sculling movement of the second dorsal and anal fins. In slow forward swimming, the left pectoral and right pelvic fins move forward, while the right pectoral and left pelvic fins are pulled backward. This tandem movement of alternate paired fins resembles the movement of the forelimbs and hindlimbs of a tetrapod walking on land. Latimeria does not use its lobed fins for walking on the bottom, and even when they are resting in caves they usually do not touch the substrate. Like most slow moving fishes, the coelacanth can make a sudden lunge or fast start by means of a quick flip of its massive caudal fin. During its nightly foraging swims, Latimeria was often seen to perform head-stands, in which it rotates its body into a vertical position, with its head near the bottom and its caudal fin curved perpendicular to its body. It then held this position for two or three minutes at a time. This curious behavior may be used when it is scanning the bottom with its putative electoreceptive rostral organ, or it may be a reaction to the bright lights of Prof. Fricke's submersible (Ref. 38228).
被認定為活化石了。 棲息於被躲藏在洞穴中在白天期間 (參考文獻 38425) 的陡峭的岩岸,在一個洞穴中的多達 14個個體。 (參考文獻 38426) 各別地覓食在開放性的底層在晚上 (參考文獻 38426), 它被動地隨著水流飄游或游泳慢慢地用它的偶鰭與它的第二背鰭與臀鰭.(參考文獻 38427) 最遠可以外游到 8 公里在晚上尋找食物而且在破曉之前撤退回最近的洞穴。 (參考文獻 38426) 捕食魚與烏賊。 (參考文獻 26162) 金眼鯛 , 鬚銀眼鯛 , 花鯛 ,天竺鯛,魟魚, 鰻魚與小鯊魚曾經知道被吃。 (參考文獻 11228) 它的主要敵人可能是大的鯊魚。 (參考文獻 26162) 卵胎生又多達 5-29個幼魚.(參考文獻 11228,37171) 妊娠期估計了 3 年, 將會是在脊椎動物被知道的最長的.(參考文獻 30865) 一種小的相關鰓區 (參考文獻 38428) 限制對生活 '在慢的小路' 的腔棘魚, 漂流物-在寒冷的水域中進食在晚上而且在白天的時候在些微比較熱的洞穴中休息對於攝食量.(參考文獻 38429)
最近,教授漢斯 Fricke 與同伴已經成功地在他們的自然棲息地觀察而且薄膜 Latimeria 。 使用一二人的能沈入水中的, Fricke 在貧瘠的熔岩斜坡上在深度中發現一些腔棘魚 120-400 公尺外海的壯觀科羅摩。 腔棘魚有特殊的白色斑紋,而且這允許了個體的辨認與他們的運動的追蹤。 在白天期間,洞穴的 Latimeria 休息寓所,與多達 13個魚在一個洞穴中擠在一起了。 一些個體佔領部分重疊的家範圍,而且 Fricke 從不見到在腔棘魚之間的任何與侵略者遭遇。 藉由在洞穴 (是有沒有強的水流) 中休息腔棘魚解救能源而且避開相會有大的掠食者 (深水域鯊魚). 在日落之後,腔棘魚離開他們的洞穴而且橫過漂流得慢慢底部, 可能尋找食物, 在 1-3 公尺的底部裡面。 在這些夜間的獵食攻擊上,腔棘魚可能移動高達 8 公里; 而且在破曉之前他們在最近的洞穴中隱匿。 尋找捕食, 或從一個洞穴移到另外一, Latimeria 似乎也搬進慢的運動被動地以水流漂流而且使用它的柔韌有彈性胸鰭與腹鰭調整它的位置, 或慢慢地搖槳第二個背鰭與臀鰭的運動的同步的游泳。 在慢的向前游泳,左邊的胸鰭與右邊的腹鰭移動向前地, 然而右邊的胸鰭與左邊的腹鰭向後地被拉。 交互偶鰭的這次縱排運動在陸地上與四足動物步行的前肢的運動與 hindlimbs 相似。 Latimeria 不會在底部上使用它的葉狀鰭用於步行, 甚至他們何時正在洞穴中休息他們通常不碰觸底部。 像大多數的緩慢移動的魚,腔棘魚能經由一個它的大尾鰭的快香甜燙酒作一個突然的刺或快速的開始。
在它的夜間被覓食的游泳的時候, Latimeria 時常被見到執行頭部-臺子, 在它旋轉它的身體進入一個垂直的位置, 用它的彎曲的在底部附近的頭部與它的尾鰭垂直於它的身體。 它然後支撐這一個位置為二或三細小的一次。 這奇怪的行為可能是使用過的當它正在掃描底部的時候用它的想像 electoreceptive 嘴的器官, 或它可能是反應到教授 Fricke 明亮光能沈入水中的.(參考文獻 38228)