Bali Shortcake vs Coelacanth

Acropora latistella compared with Latimeria chalumnae

Key Differences

• Bali Shortcake is Least Concern while Coelacanth is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bali Shortcake	Coelacanth
Kingdom same	Animalia (hayvan)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum	Cnidaria (Knidliler)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class	Anthozoa	Coelacanthi (Coelacanthi)
Order	Scleractinia (Scleractinia)	Coelacanthiformes (Coelacanthiformes)
Family	Acroporidae	Latimeriidae
Genus	Acropora	Latimeria
Species	Acropora latistella	Latimeria chalumnae

Evolutionary Relationship

Bali Shortcake and Coelacanth share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (hayvan)

Conservation Status

Bali Shortcake

LC — Least Concern

Coelacanth

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~500

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bali Shortcake	Coelacanth
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	100 years
Average Length	—	1.8 m
Average Weight	—	80.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bali Shortcake

Habitat

Native to Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

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.

Bali Shortcake

The Bali Shortcake (Acropora latistella) is a species in the genus Acropora. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.