Although confirmed by phylogenetic analyses as monophyletic, and routinely used within eurypterid taxonomy,[1][2][3] "Waeringopteroidea" and "Waeringopteridae" are as of yet not formally published clades, the names instead deriving from a 2004 thesis by O. Erik Tetlie.

[5] Like all other chelicerates, and other arthropods in general, waeringopterid eurypterids possessed segmented bodies and jointed appendages (limbs) covered in a cuticle composed of proteins and chitin.

The chelicerate body is divided into two tagmata (sections); the frontal prosoma (head) and posterior opisthosoma (abdomen).

Though this is relatively long in comparison to modern arthropods, other members of Diploperculata, such as the pterygotids or the carcinosomatids, reached much larger sizes, surpassing two meters.

[2] The cladogram below presents the inferred phylogenetic positions of most of the genera included in the three most derived superfamilies of the Eurypterina suborder of eurypterids (Adelophthalmoidea, Pterygotioidea and the waeringopteroids), as inferred by O. Erik Tetlie and Markus Poschmann in 2008, based on the results of a 2008 analysis specifically pertaining to the Adelophthalmoidea and a preceding 2004 analysis.

[7] Orcanopterus Waeringopterus Grossopterus Eysyslopterus Bassipterus Pittsfordipterus Nanahughmilleria Parahughmilleria Adelophthalmus Hughmilleria Herefordopterus Slimonia Erettopterus Pterygotus Acutiramus Jaekelopterus "Waeringopteridae" and the superfamily that includes it, "Waeringopteroidea" (named after eurypterid researcher Erik N. Kjellesvig-Waering), are not formally published clades.