Kingdom Animalia Subphylum Chelicerata Superfamily †Eurypteracea Rank Genus | Phylum Arthropoda Class †Eurypterida Family †Eurypteridae | |
Similar Drepanopterus, Buffalopterus, Hughmilleria, Kokomopterus, Hallipterus | ||
Onychopterella is a genus of prehistoric eurypterid in the family Eurypteridae.
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Description
Eurypteridae, which lived from the Ordovician to the Late Carboniferous period, were characterized by small to large exoskeletons with inconspicuous semilunar scales or curved ridges. The telson, (tail) was styliform, or pointed. Eurypteridae also had chelicerae (appendages in front of the mouth) that were small. Their walking legs were covered in spines. The prosoma (head) was subrectangular, with slightly curved compound eyes located relatively centrally on the dorsal surface. Genital appendages in the female were very short with lateral lobes in the female, but long in the nale, with diverging distal spines.
Onychopterella is distinguishable from other Eurypteridae by its long last walking leg, and the inconspicuous paddle on the swimming leg, which ends in a spur. Its body, which is medium sized (for a eurypterid), tapers gradually.