| Eurypterus Temporal range: Silurian | |
|---|---|
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| An artist's illustration of Eurypterus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryote |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Order: | Eurypterida |
| Family: | †Eurypteridae |
| Genus: | †Eurypterus |
| Species: | 'E. remipes' |
| Type species | |
| †'E. remipes' | |
Eurypterus is a genus of eurypterid (erroneously referred to as sea scorpions) that lived during the Silurian period of the Ordovican era.
Description[]
Like most sea scorpions, Eurypterus is a mid-sized arthropod that was found in many large temperate oceans. Unlike some relatives, it lacks pincers to grab prey and instead has multiple small legs and a pair of large paddle-like appendages. Members of the genus typically range from a length of 5 to 9 inches (13-23 cm), but an exceptionally large specimen of the genus was found to be 2 feet long (60 cm).
Paleobiology[]
Eurypterus was a comparatively large generalist predator that preyed on smaller invertebrates. It would use its paddles to make a rowing, which was the main method of locomotion; it only swam to get from place to place, but not for pursuing prey.
Gallery[]
