Strange Spider Crab Fossil from NEW Moroccan Location

Description: An unusual marine arthropod, this one is found in sublithographic limestone similar to that seen in Lebanon, but comes from a new location in Morocco, and is the first example of this type I have ever seen. Specimens from this location have just become available in the past few years, and most may well be new to science. It was colloquially listed as a “sea spider”. The true sea spiders are related to the chelicerates, and are members of the class Pycnopodia. The common name is also applied to the family of crabs known as the Majidae, and that is the most likely assignment for this one.. It is the first such example I have come across to date.