(CNN) A new species of crab that scientists say is the "strangest crab that has ever lived" has been discovered in Colombia and the United States.

The prehistoric crab dates back to 95 million years ago and scientists say it defies all the normal crab features. The new species, named Callichimaera perplexa, has bent claws, big eyes with no sockets, an exposed tail and leg-like mouthparts.

"We started looking at these fossils and we found they had what looked like the eyes of a larva, the mouth of a shrimp, claws of a frog crab, and the carapace of a lobster," said Javier Luque, postdoctoral paleontologist at the University of Alberta and Yale University, in a statement from the University of Alberta. "We have an idea of what a typical crab looks like — and these new fossils break all those rules."

A fossilized specimen of the new creature.

Because of the mismatch of body parts it was only fitting that the new species was named after a chimera: a mythological creature that has a lion's head, goat's body and a snake's tail. The full name of the new crab, Callichimaera perplexa, translates to "perplexing beautiful chimera." With the unusual legs, Luque said he believes the creature lived in the water, swimming more than crawling around on land.

"Callichimaera perplexa is so unique and strange that it can be considered the platypus of the crab world," said Luque in a press release from Yale . "Usually we think of crabs as big animals with broad carapaces, strong claws, small eyes in long eyestalks, and a small tail tucked under the body. Well, Callichimaera defies all of these 'crabby' features and forces a rethink of our definition of what makes a crab a crab."

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