Slimonia
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| Slimonia Fossil range: Silurian |
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 Slimonia acuminata
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Fossil
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| Slimonia acuminata Salter 1856 |
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Slimonia is a genus of Silurian eurypterid closely related to the infamous Pterygotus. Slimonia closely resembled Pterygotus, save that the former's telson is larger, and that its body was smaller and more slender than the latter. The main difference between the two genera, though, was that Slimonia was exclusively freshwater, whereas Pterygotus lived in estuaries. Slimonia preyed on smaller freshwater fish, such as heterostracans and early osteostracans, by seizing and rending them with its pair of large chelicerae (pincers). The largest species of Slimonia was extremely long, around two meters, carrying its body on spindly legs and probably hunting through sudden rushes from hiding. The lungs of the species were located on the underside of the body in a series of folds.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Fortey, Richard A. (1998). Life: a natural history of the first four billion years of life on earth. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 146-7. ISBN 0-375-40119-9.
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