Balhuticaris voltae

Meet the newest bivalved arthropod from the Burgess Shale!

As well as looking extremely groovy, Balhuticaris voltae is the largest bivalve arthropod and one of the largest Cambrian arthropods known to science. This funky creature was a very agile nektobenthic swimmer, meaning that they could often be found hanging out at the bottom of the sea. Its extremely unusual arch-shaped carapace has stumped researchers over its function. The eyes, however, suggest that B. voltae could calculate distance better than other arthropods. It also holds the record for Cambrian multi-segmentation with 110 pairs of limbs to its name. There is little known about the ecology of this fascinating creature, but researchers think it may have swum upside-down and collected small prey with the aid of water currents.

Paper from: A. Izquierdo-López & J-B. Carson (2022) Cell Press

Image credit: Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) / Artist Hugo Salais / Metazoa Studio