Ophthalmosaurus
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| phylum | Chordata | Ophthalmosaurus is an ichthyosaur of the Middle to Late Jurassic period. It had a graceful 6 m (19.5 ft) long dolphin-shaped body, and its almost toothless jaw was well adapted for catching squid. Ophthalmosaurus' chief claim to fame is its eyes which, at 4 inches in diameter, were extremely large in proportion to its body. The eyes occupied almost all of the space in the skull and were protected by bony plates (sclerotic rings), which most likely assisted to maintain the shape of the eyeballs against water pressure at depth.
For more information, visit the Wikipedia entry. Get back to Ichthyopterygia |
| clade | Diapsida | |
| order | Ichthyosauria | |
| family | Ophthalmosauridae | |
| genus | Ophthalmosaurus | |
| Temporal range | Middle Jurassic late Jurassic |
