Eurypterid

The Eurypterid, also known as sea scorpions, were a group of aquatic arthropods that lived approximately 460 million years ago during the Paleozoic Era. These creatures were massive, with some species measuring over 2 meters in length making them larger than some modern-day creatures such as giraffes and zebras.

Despite being called sea scorpions, Eurypterids were not truly scorpions nor did they live entirely in the sea. In fact, they lived in shallow waters and brackish environments, likely acting as ambush predators, patiently stalking their prey.

Their appearance has been compared to that of an overgrown shrimp. Which may explain why nobody really likes to eat shrimp if they thought the creature was vast and menacing-looking.

The largest Eurypterid species found so far is Jaekelopterus, which had claws the size of frying pans. It’s still a mystery as to what such a large creature could have found to feed on, but it’s possible they were the start of the seafood industry, with sailors contracting a new form of PTSD when after seeing too many sea scorpions.

Some of the more imaginative stories of sea monsters throughout history were actually inspired by Eurypterids - sailors would likely have mistook the creatures for mythical beasts such as mermaids or krakens.

The Eurypterids were not successful in the long term and died out around 250 million years ago during the Permian extinction, possibly due to competition for prey, other environmental factors, or a general lack of friends making them sad in the aftermath of their size dwindling over time.

Today, they are a fossil reminder of ancient creatures that make us appreciate the more simple life of the current world where we don’t have to worry about giant sea scorpions lying in wait.