sea scorpions
Extinct aquatic arthropods
Sea scorpions are extinct aquatic arthropods that lived from roughly 470 to 250 million years ago, some growing over two meters long—among the largest arthropods ever.
Despite the name, they were not true scorpions but resembled them, with elongated bodies, pincer-like appendages, and segmented tails.
The scientific name is eurypterids.
- arthropodJointed-limb invertebrate phylum
- fossilPreserved ancient organism
- fossil huntingSeeking preserved ancient organisms
- predatorOrganism that consumes others
- apex predatorUnpreyed-upon dominant hunter
horseshoe crab · living fossil · animals · exoskeleton · armor plating · Paleozoic · marine invertebrate · aquatic predator · extinct · ocean floor · paleoecology · extinct species · marine ecosystem · molting · scorpionfish · sedimentary layers · arachnida · Ordovician