Coelacanth vs North African Hedgehog

Latimeria chalumnae compared with Atelerix algirus

Key Differences

• Coelacanth is Critically Endangered while North African Hedgehog is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coelacanth	North African Hedgehog
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Coelacanthi (Coelacanthi)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Coelacanthiformes (Coelacanthiformes)	Erinaceomorpha (Erinaceomorpha)
Family	Latimeriidae	Erinaceidae
Genus	Latimeria	Atelerix
Species	Latimeria chalumnae	Atelerix algirus

Evolutionary Relationship

Coelacanth and North African Hedgehog share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Coelacanth

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~500

Trend: Decreasing ↓

North African Hedgehog

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coelacanth	North African Hedgehog
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	100 years	—
Average Length	1.8 m	—
Average Weight	80.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coelacanth

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Afrotropic and Indomalayan realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Comoros, Indonesia, Mozambique, and South Africa. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

North African Hedgehog

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across France, Malta, and Spain.

Coelacanth

A living fossil thought extinct for 65 million years until rediscovered off South Africa in 1938, coelacanths can reach 2 meters and 90 kg. They belong to an ancient lobe-finned lineage more closely related to tetrapods than to ray-finned fish, making them scientifically invaluable for understanding vertebrate evolution. Found in deep rocky reef habitats of the Indian Ocean, they are nocturnal and undergo internal fertilization, giving birth to fully formed live young. Critically Endangered.