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).
被认定为活化石了。 栖息于被躲藏在洞穴中在白天期间 (参考文献 38425) 的陡峭的岩岸,在一个洞穴中的多达 14个个体。 (参考文献 38426) 各别地觅食在开放性的底层在晚上 (参考文献 38426), 它被动地随着水流飘游或游泳慢慢地用它的偶鳍与它的第二背鳍与臀鳍.(参考文献 38427) 最远可以外游到 8 公里在晚上寻找食物而且在破晓之前撤退回最近的洞穴。 (参考文献 38426) 捕食鱼与乌贼。 (参考文献 26162) 金眼鲷 , 须银眼鲷 , 花鲷 ,天竺鲷, 鱼, 鳗鱼与小鲨鱼曾经知道被吃。 (参考文献 11228) 它的主要敌人可能是大的鲨鱼。 (参考文献 26162) 卵胎生又多达 5-29个幼鱼.(参考文献 11228,37171) 妊娠期估计了 3 年, 将会是在脊椎动物被知道的最长的.(参考文献 30865) 一种小的相关鳃区 (参考文献 38428) 限制对生活 '在慢的小路' 的腔棘鱼, 漂流物-在寒冷的水域中进食在晚上而且在白天的时候在些微比较热的洞穴中休息对于摄食量.(参考文献 38429)
最近,教授汉斯 Fricke 与同伴已经成功地在他们的自然栖息地观察而且薄膜 Latimeria 。 使用一二人的能沈入水中的, Fricke 在贫瘠的熔岩斜坡上在深度中发现一些腔棘鱼 120-400 公尺外海的壮观科罗摩。 腔棘鱼有特殊的白色斑纹,而且这允许了个体的辨认与他们的运动的追踪。 在白天期间,洞穴的 Latimeria 休息寓所,与多达 13个鱼在一个洞穴中挤在一起了。 一些个体占领部分重叠的家范围,而且 Fricke 从不见到在腔棘鱼之间的任何与侵略者遭遇。 藉由在洞穴 (是有没有强的水流) 中休息腔棘鱼解救能源而且避开相会有大的掠食者 (深水域鲨鱼). 在日落之后,腔棘鱼离开他们的洞穴而且横过漂流得慢慢底部, 可能寻找食物, 在 1-3 公尺的底部里面。 在这些夜间的猎食攻击上,腔棘鱼可能移动高达 8 公里; 而且在破晓之前他们在最近的洞穴中隐匿。 寻找捕食, 或从一个洞穴移到另外一, Latimeria 似乎也搬进慢的运动被动地以水流漂流而且使用它的柔韧有弹性胸鳍与腹鳍调整它的位置, 或慢慢地摇桨第二个背鳍与臀鳍的运动的同步的游泳。 在慢的向前游泳,左边的胸鳍与右边的腹鳍移动向前地, 然而右边的胸鳍与左边的腹鳍向后地被拉。 交互偶鳍的这次纵排运动在陆地上与四足动物步行的前肢的运动与 hindlimbs 相似。 Latimeria 不会在底部上使用它的叶状鳍用于步行, 甚至他们何时正在洞穴中休息他们通常不碰触底部。 像大多数的缓慢移动的鱼,腔棘鱼能经由一个它的大尾鳍的快香甜烫酒作一个突然的刺或快速的开始。
在它的夜间被觅食的游泳的时候, Latimeria 时常被见到执行头部-台子, 在它旋转它的身体进入一个垂直的位置, 用它的弯曲的在底部附近的头部与它的尾鳍垂直于它的身体。 它然后支撑这一个位置为二或三细小的一次。 这奇怪的行为可能是使用过的当它正在扫描底部的时候用它的想像 electoreceptive 嘴的器官, 或它可能是反应到教授 Fricke 明亮光能沈入水中的.(参考文献 38228)