''Montecaris'' is a genus of extinct

phyllocarid Phyllocarida is a subclass of crustaceans, comprising the extant order Leptostraca and the extinct orders Hymenostraca and Archaeostraca. This clade of marine crustaceans diversified extensively during the Ordovician The Ordovician ( ) is a ...

crustacean Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...

s found in the Upper Devonian of

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

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

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Description

''Montecaris'' possesses an unornamented, bivalved carapace which terminates in a spiny posterior. Its caudal tail fin is trifurcated and dagger-like. Species of ''Montecaris'' from Europe and Canada are no more than in length, while ''M. gogoensis'' from the

Gogo Formation The Gogo Formation in the Kimberley region of Western Australia is a Lagerstätte that exhibits exceptional preservation of a Devonian reef community. The formation is named after Gogo Station, a cattle station where outcrops appear and fossi ...

of Australia can reach lengths of and, rarely, up to . Due to its streamlined carapace and large tail fin, ''Montecaris'' was likely an active

nekton Nekton or necton (from the ) is any aquatic organism that can actively and persistently propel itself through a water column (i.e. swimming) without touching the bottom. Nektons generally have powerful tails and appendages (e.g. fins, pleopods, ...

ic swimmer, which primarily appears in deep water sediments. Its robust mandibles and powerful musculature suggests a carnivorous lifestyle as an active predator or scavenger.

Species

* ''M. antecedens'' Chlupač, 1960 * ''M. brunnensis'' Chlupač, 1960 * ''M. gogoensis'' Briggs, 2011 * ''M. lehmanni'' Jux, 1960 (Possibly synonymous with ''M. strunensis'') * ''M. strunensis'' Jux, 1959 * ''M. tatarica'' Krestovnikov, 1961

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q23928262 Prehistoric Malacostraca Prehistoric crustacean genera Devonian arthropods Devonian animals Fossils of Australia Fossils of Canada Fossils of Germany