Megalograptus welchi

First mistaken for a graptolite thanks to only a very spiny leg being discovered,‭ ‬Megalograptus is now known to have been a large eurypterid,‭ ‬colloquially known as a‭ ‘‬sea scorpion‭’‬.‭ ‬Megalograptus is the type genus of the Megalograptoidea,‭ ‬a group of eurypterids which are primarily identified by the arrangement of spikes on their third pair of legs.‭ ‬It is thought that the large spines on the various appendages helped Megalograptus to locate prey hidden within the soft sediments,‭ ‬and hidden from sight.‭ ‬Like all eurypterids Megalograptus had a telson,‭ ‬the final segment of the tail that is analogous to the‭ ‘‬sting‭’ ‬we can see on modern land scorpions.‭ ‬However in Megalograptus this is not expected to have formed a venomous sting,‭ ‬and instead Megalograptus probably just ripped prey apart as it ate.