''Paralomis debodeorum'' is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

species of

king crab King crabs are a taxon of decapod crustaceans chiefly found in cold seas. Because of their large size and the taste of their meat, many species are widely caught and sold as food, the most common being the red king crab (''Paralithodes camtscha ...

which lived in New Zealand during the Middle–

Late Miocene The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch, which lasted from 11.63 Ma (million ye ...

. It was discovered in the Greta Siltstone on Motunau Beach,

North Canterbury Canterbury ( mi, Waitaha) is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of , making it the largest region in the country by area. It is home to a population of The region in its current fo ...

, near the

mouth In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...

of the Motunau River. It is a moderate-sized ''Paralomis'' and most closely resembles the extant '' Paralomis zealandica''. It is the first and only lithodid in the fossil record.

Etymology

The species name "''debodeorum''" takes its namesake from amateur fossil collectors John and Ann DeBode.

Notes

References

King crabs Miocene crustaceans Marine crustaceans of New Zealand Fossils of New Zealand Fossil taxa described in 1998 Crustaceans described in 1998 {{paleo-crustacean-stub