Vernonopterus is a genus of eurypterid, a group of extinct aquatic arthropods. Fossils of Vernonopterus have been discovered in deposits of the Carboniferous period in Scotland. The name of the genus derives from the location where the only known fossil has been discovered, Mount Vernon near Airdrie in Lanarkshire, Scotland. A single species of Vernonopterus is recognized, V. minutisculptus, based on fragmentary fossilized tergites, segments on the upper side of the abdomen. The species name minutisculptus refers to the ornamentation of scales that covers the entirety of the preserved parts of the eurypterid. Although little can confidently be said about the appearance of Vernonopterus, it is likely to have been similar to its relatives within the hibbertopterid family, Hibbertopterus and Campylocephalus. The hibbertopterids were large eurypterids with broad heads and bodies and appendages developed for sweep-feeding, a technique involving blade-like adaptations to search for food in the substrate of its living environment. Compared to both Hibbertopterus and Campylocephalus, Vernonopterus would have been small, reaching lengths of about 50 centimetres (19.7 inches). Description Classified as a member of the hibbertopterid family of eurypterids, Vernonopterus is assumed to have been overall similar to the other members of the family. The scant fossil remains attributed to the eurypterid suggests that it was a large and broad-bodied animal that probably measured around 50 centimetres (19.7 inches) in length. Although limited in number by the fragmentary nature of the fossil remains, some distinguishing features of Vernonopterus have been established. In particular, the more posterior (further towards the back) tergites (segments on the upper side of the abdomen) tend to become more and more trilobate (shaped so that they almost have three distinct lobes), in the middle of the tergites the ornamentation (something typical of eurypterid exoskeletons) form a series of tracts that almost morph into three ridges. Due to the tergites being the only known parts of Vernonopterus, next to nothing can be said about other parts of its body such as the head and the appendages (limbs). They are likely to have resembled those of its relatives, where the carapace (exoskeleton covering the head) was large and broad (similar to the rest of the body) with appendages developed to sweep-feeding, a technique involving blade-like adaptations to search for food in the substrate of its living environment. The ventral plates of Vernonopterus were granulated finely (had a rough surface) with small scales being present near