Scientist David Legg discovered a prehistoric creature and named it after Hollywood actor Johnny Depp due to its similarity with the famous character "Edward Scissorhands" in the 1990 film. The "Kooteninchela deppi" is a crab-like sea creature at 4cm long with the extended claws assumed to be utilized in exploring the sea floor to search for a hiding prey.

Kooteninchela deppi was originally discovered at Stanley Glacier in Canada's Kootenay National Park. "When I first saw the pair of isolated claws in the fossil records of this species, I could not help but think of Edward Scissorhands.

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Even the genus name, Kootenichela, includes the reference to this film, as 'chela' is Latin for claws or scissors," David Legg revealed at the Imperial College London web site. "In truth, I am also a bit of a Depp fan and so what better way to honor the man than to immortalize him as an ancient creature that once roamed the sea?" Legg further admitted.

The Kooteninchela deppi specie is included in the animal group identified as the "megacheirans" or the great-appendage arthropods. The species are distant ancestors and relatives to modern arthropods ranging from insects to arachnids and crustaceans such as lobsters, scorpions, spiders, centipedes, millipedes and crabs.

"Just imagine it: the prawns covered in mayonnaise in your sandwich, the spider climbing up your wall and even the fly that has been banging into your window and annoyingly flying into your face are all descendants of Kooteninchela deppi," Legg stated.

Meanwhile, up to date estimation points out that there are over 1 million identified insects and arachnids with probably 10 million more to be categorized. Therefore, the 49-year-old actor's creature family tree will be a vast one.

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