Dolichopterus is a genus of the prehistoric sea scorpions, arthropods in the order Eurypterida.
Distribution[]
It lived in the Late Silurian (around 420 million years ago) in shelf or epicontinental seas of the region where Avalonia, Baltica and Laurentia met during the Caledonian orogeny; its fossils have been found in modern-day North America and the Baltic region. They were about 25–30 centimetres (10–12 in) long.
Relative[]
Strobilopterus probably was one of the closest relatives of Dolichopterus, but overall the phylogeny and systematics of the family Dolichopteridae is disputed: some place it closer to the Eurypteridae, while others assign it to the second lineage of sea scorpions which contains the Stylonuridae.