Cretacoranina punctata

Cretacoranina punctata, Tarrant Co.

Albian, Cretaceous

Apr, 2023

Cretacoranina is a type of "frog crab" which are still around today and are known to bury under the sand with their modified claws. They keep their eyes above the sand and ambush prey. Unlike most other crabs, frog crabs do not have their abdomen tucked beneath their cephalothorax. The frog crab fossil record starts in the Albian which means this specimen is very close to their supposed origin!

I actually found the posterior end of this crab a couple of months ago. I knew it was from this species which is a bit rare so I held on to it. Then I came across the anterior portion earlier this week and was excited to find that the pieces fit together perfectly.