Mycteroptidae are a family of

eurypterid Eurypterids, often informally called sea scorpions, are a group of extinct marine arthropods that form the Order (biology), order Eurypterida. The earliest known eurypterids date to the Darriwilian stage of the Ordovician period, 467.3 Myr, mil ...

s, a group of extinct

chelicerate The subphylum Chelicerata (from Neo-Latin, , ) constitutes one of the major subdivisions of the phylum Arthropoda. Chelicerates include the sea spiders, horseshoe crabs, and arachnids (including harvestmen, scorpions, spiders, solifuges, ticks ...

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 ...

s commonly known as "sea scorpions". The family is one of three families contained in the superfamily

Mycteropoidea Mycteropoidea is an extinct superfamily of eurypterids, an extinct group of chelicerate arthropods commonly known as "sea scorpions". It is one of four superfamilies classified as part of the suborder Stylonurina. Mycteropoids have been recovered ...

(along with

Hibbertopteridae Hibbertopteridae (the name deriving from the type genus ''Hibbertopterus'', meaning "Hibbert's wing") is a family of eurypterids, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. They were members of the superfamily Mycteropoidea. Hibbertopterids were lar ...

and

Drepanopteridae ''Drepanopterus'' is an extinct genus of eurypterid and the only member of the family Drepanopteridae within the Mycteropoidea superfamily. There are currently three species assigned to the genus. The genus has historically included more species, ...

), which in turn is one of four superfamilies classified as part of the suborder

Stylonurina Stylonurina is one of two suborders of eurypterids, a group of extinct arthropods commonly known as "sea scorpions". Members of the suborder are collectively and informally known as "stylonurine eurypterids" or "stylonurines". They are known from ...

. Mycteroptids were sweep-feeding eurypterids known from the

Late Carboniferous Late or LATE may refer to: Everyday usage * Tardy, or late, not being on time * Late (or the late) may refer to a person who is dead Music * Late (The 77s album), ''Late'' (The 77s album), 2000 * Late (Alvin Batiste album), 1993 * Late!, a pseudo ...

to the

Late Permian Late or LATE may refer to: Everyday usage * Tardy, or late, not being on time * Late (or the late) may refer to a person who is dead Music * ''Late'' (The 77s album), 2000 * Late (Alvin Batiste album), 1993 * Late!, a pseudonym used by Dave Groh ...

Description

Mycteroptids were medium-sized to fairly large mycteropoids with parabolic prosoma and a hastate telson with paired ventral keels. They had a culticular ornament of scales or mucrones and unlike the hibbertopterids, appendage IV was non-spiniferous. The first and second opisthosomal tergites were strongly developed and elongated. The heads of mycteroptids were subtrapezoid in shape with small compound eyes. 1955. Merostomata. ''Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part P Arthropoda 2, Chelicerata'', P39. Mycteroptids only used appendages II and III to capture prey, whilst hibberopterids used II, III and IV.

Genera and species

Three of the four genera included in the Mycteroptidae, '' Mycterops'', ''

Woodwardopterus ''Woodwardopterus'' is a genus of prehistoric eurypterid, or sea scorpion, classified as part of the family Mycteroptidae. The genus contains one confirmed species, ''W. scabrosus'', from the Carboniferous of Glencartholm, Scotland Sc ...

'' and '' Megarachne'' might represent different ontogenetic stages of each other based on the sizes of the referred specimens and the patterns of mucronation. This would sink the genera ''Woodwardopterus'' and ''Megarachne'' into ''Mycterops''. Family Mycteroptidae Cope, 1886 * '' Mycterops'' Cope, 1886 ** ?'' Mycterops blairi'' Waterston, 1968 ** '' Mycterops matthieui'' Pruvost, 1924 ** '' Mycterops ordinatus'' Cope, 1886 ** ?'' Mycterops whitei'' Schram, 1984 * ''

'' Kjellesvig-Waering, 1959 ** '' Woodwardopterus scabrosus'' (Woodward, 1887) ** '' Woodwardopterus freemanorum'' Poschmanna & Rozefelds, 2021 * '' Megarachne'' Hünicken, 1980 ** ''

Megarachne servinei ''Megarachne'' is a genus of eurypterid, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. Fossils of ''Megarachne'' have been discovered in deposits of Late Carboniferous age, from the Gzhelian stage, in the Bajo de Véliz Formation of San Luis, Argenti ...

'' Hünicken, 1980 *'' Hastimima'' White, 1908 **'' Hastimima whitei'' White, 1908

References

Stylonurina Pennsylvanian first appearances Permian extinctions Prehistoric arthropod families {{eurypterid-stub

Description

Genera and species

See also

References