''Actaeus'' is a genus of leanchoiliid

megacheira Megacheira ("great hands", also historically great appendage arthropods) is an extinct class of predatory arthropods defined by their possession of spined "great appendages". Their taxonomic position is controversial, with studies either consider ...

arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

, containing the single species ''Actaeus armatus''. It is known from a single specimen recovered from the Middle Cambrian

Burgess Shale The Burgess Shale is a fossil-bearing deposit exposed in the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, Canada. It is famous for the exceptional preservation of the soft parts of its fossils. At old (middle Cambrian), it is one of the earliest fos ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, and it may be actually a poorly preserved specimen of ''

Alalcomenaeus ''Alalcomenaeus'' is one of the most widespread and longest-surviving arthropod genera of the Early and Middle Cambrian. Known from over 300 specimens in the Burgess Shale and the Chengjiang biota. It is a member of the family Leanchoiliidae in ...

''. The specimen is over 6 cm long and has a body consisting of a head shield, 11 body tergites, and a terminal plate. It was named after

Actaeus In Greek mythology, Actaeus (; ), also called Actaeon, was the first king of Attica, according to Pausanias. Legend Actaeus was said to have ruled over the kingdom of Attica, named Acte ( ''Akte'') or Actica. The ancient Parian Chronicle ...

, first king of attica, and armatus a combination of greek and latin words to describe the frontal appendages of the species.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from1=Q20672537, from2=Q2823540 Megacheira Burgess Shale animals Cambrian arthropods Fossil taxa described in 1970 Cambrian genus extinctions