# Indonesian coelacanth

> The Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis) is a rare, deep-water lobe-finned fish known from Sulawesi to Papua, first recognised in 1997.

Source: https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/indonesian-coelacanth/ · Updated 25 September 2026 · English · Bahasa Indonesia: https://panduanhewan.org/id/spesies/ikan-raja-laut/
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**Review status:** Compiled and checked against the listed sources; not yet reviewed by a specialist.

## Quick answer

The Indonesian coelacanth (*Latimeria menadoensis*) is a marine animal in the family Latimeriidae. Its IUCN Red List category is Vulnerable.

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | *Latimeria menadoensis* |
| Indonesian name | Ikan raja laut |
| Group | Marine |
| Family | Latimeriidae |
| Range in Indonesia | North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, North Maluku, Raja Ampat and Biak (Papua) |
| Diet | Probably fish and squid, like its African relative |
| Range in Indonesia | North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, North Maluku, Raja Ampat, Biak |
| Key feature | Fleshy lobed fins; brownish-grey body with white blotches |
| Other names | Sulawesi coelacanth; raja laut (king of the sea) |
| Legal protection in Indonesia | Fully protected (KKP Decree 66/2025) |
| IUCN status | Vulnerable · [IUCN Red List (via GBIF)](https://www.gbif.org/species/2441276) · checked 25 September 2026 |

## What is the Indonesian coelacanth?

The Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis) is a deep-water lobe-finned fish often called a living fossil. Coelacanths belong to a lineage more than 400 million years old, and only two species survive: this one and the African coelacanth (L. chalumnae). According to an FAO identification sheet, it is brownish grey with irregular white blotches, with fleshy lobed fins and a three-part tail. FishBase gives a maximum length of 140 cm. A specimen caught off West Papua proved genetically distinct from the Sulawesi fish, and researchers suggest that another coelacanth species may still await description.

Evidence: [FAO Species Identification Guide, Western Central Pacific — Latimeriidae: Latimeria menadoensis (S.L. Jewett)](https://www.fao.org/4/y0870e/y0870e63.pdf) · [FishBase — Latimeria menadoensis, Sulawesi coelacanth](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Latimeria-menadoensis.html) · [Scientific Reports (2020) — A thirteen-million-year divergence between two lineages of Indonesian coelacanths](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-57042-1)

## Where does the Indonesian coelacanth live?

The Indonesian coelacanth lives on rocky slopes and in caves in the deep waters of eastern Indonesia, usually at about 150–200 metres according to FishBase. Indonesia's 2025 decree on protected fish species lists its range as North Sulawesi, Biak and Raja Ampat. In October 2024, technical divers photographed a living coelacanth in North Maluku for the first time, at 144 metres in water of 19–20 °C. The fish was hovering above a rock on a steep volcanic slope rather than hiding in a cave. The researchers say the find supports the idea that its range is wider than first thought.

Evidence: [FishBase — Latimeria menadoensis, Sulawesi coelacanth](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Latimeria-menadoensis.html) · [Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan (JDIH KKP) — Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 66 Tahun 2025 tentang Jenis Ikan yang Dilindungi](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2025kepmenkp066_1762414639.pdf) · [Scientific Reports (2025) — First record of a living coelacanth from North Maluku, Indonesia](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-90287-7)

## What does the Indonesian coelacanth eat?

The Indonesian coelacanth's diet has hardly been studied directly, but coelacanths are known predators of fish and squid. Most of what we know comes from the African coelacanth. According to FishBase, African coelacanths forage alone at night, drifting slowly with the current near the seabed, and shelter in the nearest cave before dawn. They may travel up to 8 km in a night. Recorded prey includes several deep-water fishes, a skate, an eel and a small shark. For the Indonesian species, FishBase estimates a trophic level of about 4.5, which places it high in the food chain.

Evidence: [FishBase — Latimeria chalumnae, Coelacanth](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Latimeria-chalumnae.html) · [FishBase — Latimeria menadoensis, Sulawesi coelacanth](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Latimeria-menadoensis.html)

## How does the Indonesian coelacanth reproduce?

Coelacanths are ovoviviparous: eggs are fertilised inside the female, and the young develop in her oviduct until they are born alive. Most details come from the African coelacanth. FishBase records African females carrying 5–29 young, with gestation estimated at about three years, among the longest known in vertebrates. Newborns measure about 35–38 cm. Researchers describe coelacanths as long-lived, with a low metabolic rate and late sexual maturity, which makes them very sensitive to disturbance. The first juvenile Indonesian coelacanth was sighted in 2009 during surveys in North Sulawesi.

Evidence: [FishBase — Latimeria chalumnae, Coelacanth](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Latimeria-chalumnae.html) · [Scientific Reports (2025) — First record of a living coelacanth from North Maluku, Indonesia](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-90287-7)

## How was the Indonesian coelacanth discovered?

Science learned of the Indonesian coelacanth after Arnaz and Mark Erdmann saw one for sale at a fish market in Manado, North Sulawesi, on 18 September 1997. Mark recognised the shape of the African coelacanth, but this fish was brown rather than blue. In 1998 fishers netted a second specimen off Manado Tua Island, and the discovery was reported in the journal Nature that year. In 1999 Pouyaud and colleagues described it as a new species, Latimeria menadoensis. Since then, specimens have been reported from Raja Ampat (2018), North Gorontalo (2025) and near Siladen Island, Manado (2026).

Evidence: [Mongabay Indonesia (2026) — Ikan Purba Coelacanth dan Masa Depan Laut Indonesia](https://mongabay.co.id/2026/07/02/ikan-purba-coelacanth-dan-masa-depan-laut-indonesia/) · [FAO Species Identification Guide, Western Central Pacific — Latimeriidae: Latimeria menadoensis (S.L. Jewett)](https://www.fao.org/4/y0870e/y0870e63.pdf) · [Mongabay Indonesia (2021) — Inilah Wujud Ikan Purba Coelacanth yang Hanya Ada di Indonesia dan Afrika](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/05/24/inilah-wujud-ikan-purba-coelacanth-yang-hanya-ada-di-indonesia-dan-afrika/)

## What should you do if you find an Indonesian coelacanth?

The Indonesian coelacanth is fully protected in Indonesia, including its body parts and derived products, under the 2025 decree of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. International commercial trade is banned because the species is listed on CITES Appendix I. If one is caught or found, do not sell, eat or keep it, and report it promptly to local marine and fisheries officers. Divers should not chase, touch or disturb it. The researchers who found the North Maluku coelacanth kept the site secret and warned that unregulated coelacanth tourism could become a new threat.

Evidence: [Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan (JDIH KKP) — Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 66 Tahun 2025 tentang Jenis Ikan yang Dilindungi](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2025kepmenkp066_1762414639.pdf) · [FishBase — Latimeria menadoensis, Sulawesi coelacanth](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Latimeria-menadoensis.html) · [Scientific Reports (2025) — First record of a living coelacanth from North Maluku, Indonesia](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-90287-7)

## Common questions about the Indonesian coelacanth

### What is the scientific name of the Indonesian coelacanth?

The scientific name of the Indonesian coelacanth is *Latimeria menadoensis*, in the family Latimeriidae. In Indonesian it is called Ikan raja laut.

### Where can the Indonesian coelacanth be found in Indonesia?

In Indonesia, this guide records the Indonesian coelacanth in: North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, North Maluku, Raja Ampat and Biak (Papua).

### What does the Indonesian coelacanth eat?

Diet of the Indonesian coelacanth: probably fish and squid, like its African relative.

### What is the conservation status of the Indonesian coelacanth?

On the IUCN Red List, the Indonesian coelacanth is listed as Vulnerable: it is considered to face a high risk of extinction in the wild. Source: [IUCN Red List (via GBIF)](https://www.gbif.org/species/2441276), checked 25 September 2026.

This global category is separate from legal protection in Indonesia. To check whether the Indonesian coelacanth is a protected species, consult the current national list of [protected species](https://panduanhewan.org/en/glossary/#satwa-dilindungi) or contact the local [BKSDA](https://panduanhewan.org/en/bksda-offices/) (natural resources conservation office).

## Sources & references

1. [FishBase — Latimeria menadoensis, Sulawesi coelacanth](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Latimeria-menadoensis.html)
2. [FishBase — Latimeria chalumnae, Coelacanth](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Latimeria-chalumnae.html)
3. [FAO Species Identification Guide, Western Central Pacific — Latimeriidae: Latimeria menadoensis (S.L. Jewett)](https://www.fao.org/4/y0870e/y0870e63.pdf)
4. [Scientific Reports (2025) — First record of a living coelacanth from North Maluku, Indonesia](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-90287-7)
5. [Scientific Reports (2020) — A thirteen-million-year divergence between two lineages of Indonesian coelacanths](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-57042-1)
6. [Mongabay Indonesia (2021) — Inilah Wujud Ikan Purba Coelacanth yang Hanya Ada di Indonesia dan Afrika](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/05/24/inilah-wujud-ikan-purba-coelacanth-yang-hanya-ada-di-indonesia-dan-afrika/)
7. [Mongabay Indonesia (2026) — Ikan Purba Coelacanth dan Masa Depan Laut Indonesia](https://mongabay.co.id/2026/07/02/ikan-purba-coelacanth-dan-masa-depan-laut-indonesia/)
8. [Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan (JDIH KKP) — Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 66 Tahun 2025 tentang Jenis Ikan yang Dilindungi](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2025kepmenkp066_1762414639.pdf)

## Further reading

[Coelacanth: facts, threats and conservation](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/coelacanth/) — World Animal Rescue Network. A broader overview that covers this animal.

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Cite: PanduanHewan. (2026). Indonesian coelacanth. PanduanHewan.org. https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/indonesian-coelacanth/