A novel species of coelacanth belonging to the genus Whiteia has been formally described by paleontologists in China, based on the examination of two fossilized specimens. This significant discovery not only expands the geographical distribution of Whiteia during the Early Triassic period but also establishes the oldest known species of this genus found in Asia, surpassing the prior earliest record of whiteiid coelacanths on the continent by nine million years.
Whiteia anniae depicted in right lateral view, originating from the holotype. Image acknowledged to Dai et al., with the digital object identifier: 10.1038/s41598-025-20229-w.
“Coelacanths constitute a fascinating lineage of sarcopterygian fishes, currently represented by two extant marine species within the genus Latimeria,” stated lead author Dr. Guang-Hui Xu, a paleontologist affiliated with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, alongside his collaborators.
“This group’s fossil record commences in the Early Devonian, achieving its zenith of taxonomic variety during the Early Triassic, subsequently experiencing a decline after the mid-Cretaceous interval.”
“In the realm of evolutionary biology, coelacanths hold considerable importance due to their distinctive amalgamation of physiological and anatomical traits, coupled with their remarkable capacity to endure four major extinction events across hundreds of millions of years.”
“The unveiling of Latimeria once instigated a significant discussion regarding the phylogenetic placement of this peculiar lobe-finned fish within the evolutionary trajectory leading to terrestrial vertebrates.”
“Owing to evolutionary conservatism, coelacanths have long been regarded as one of the vertebrate groups exhibiting the most stable morphological characteristics.”
“Nevertheless, a number of investigations, particularly those examining Triassic fossil evidence, have indicated that coelacanth body morphologies are considerably more diverse than was previously apprehended.”
“In recent years, the discovery of new species unearthed from fossil localities globally has consistently provided invaluable data for scrutinizing coelacanth evolution.”
The recently identified coelacanth species, designated as Whiteia anniae, inhabited the planet approximately 249 million years ago, during the Smithian stage of the Early Triassic epoch.
This ancient fish falls under the classification of Whiteia, a genus of extinct coelacanths previously documented in regions such as Madagascar, South Africa, Canada, and Greenland — but notably absent from Asian fossil records until now.
“Representing the inaugural discovery of Whiteia from the Early Triassic of Asia, this recent finding significantly broadens the genus’s geographical extent and offers a crucial contribution to our comprehension of the evolutionary history of this prominent Triassic coelacanth clade,” the paleontologists reported.
Two specimens of Whiteia anniae were unearthed from marine sedimentary layers of the Lower Triassic, exposed at the Maoshankou site in China’s Anhui province.
The preserved fossils indicate that this coelacanth attained a total body length ranging between 41 and 46 centimeters, a size notably exceeding that of other formally described species within its genus.
“Previously identified Whiteia species were typically diminutive, measuring between 11.5 cm and 27 cm in total length during the Early Triassic, and a small, slender body form was once considered a defining characteristic of the genus,” the researchers commented.
“More recently, the recovery of Whiteia giganteus (estimated total length exceeding 100 cm) from Texas has brought to light an instance of significant body size augmentation within the genus during the Late Triassic in North America.”
“Our retrieval of Whiteia anniae from China presents an intriguing case study, effectively bridging the size range between the smaller Whiteia species found in Europe and Africa and their considerably larger North American congeners concerning body dimensions.”
The comprehensive findings of the research team were formally published on October 17th in the esteemed journal Scientific Reports.
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QH. Dai et al. 2025. A new coelacanth (Actinistia, Sarcopterygii) from the Early Triassic of Anhui, China. Sci Rep 15, 36320; doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-20229-w
