Pinnixa galliheri Rathbun
Middle Miocene (Mohnian)
Aguajito Shale Member, Monterey Fm.
Carmel, California, USA
35mm ventral fossil pea crab on 96mm slab. Extremely high level of detail. Might be the most perfect example of this species we have ever found.

Arthropod. Crustacean.

Pinnixa is a genus of pea crab that appeared during the Miocene and still lives today. Fossil specimens are found in California, Mexico, the Carolinas, and Malaysia.

Most specimens found are partials but you can find a lot of decent ones sometimes. They might be missing a leg or two or a claw or at least a couple of appendages might have been tucked under the body when it became one with the rock. This specimen shows all its appendages while caught in a dance pose.