Eurypterus remipes DeKay, 1825 - fossil sea scorpion in dolostone from the Silurian of New York State, USA. (ventral view) (FMNH P 647, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA)

The eurypterids, or sea scorpions, are an extinct group of chelicerate arthropods. They have an elongated, scorpion-like body that could reach enormous sizes (2.5 to 3 meters!), with a nonmineralizing exoskeleton composed of chitinous material. They are generally found in shallow to very shallow water marine and marginal marine facies.

Shown here is Eurypterus remipes, a classic example of this bizarre group of creatures. It, and other eurypterid species, is well represented in the famous Bertie Dolomite of New York State. The host rock is fine-grained dolostone (dolomudstone).

Classification: Animalia, Arthropoda, Chelicerata, Merostomata, Xiphosura, Eurypterida, Eurypteridae

Stratigraphy: unrecorded/undisclosed Silurian unit (but likely from the Phelps Member, Fiddlers Green Formation, Bertie Dolomite Group, Upper Silurian)

Locality: unrecorded/undisclosed site in New York State, USA (but possibly from the Allan Lang Quarry, southern Herkimer County, New York State, USA)

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