Very HardOphthalmosaurus
Ophthalmosaurus icenicus
off-THAL-mo-SORE-us· “eye lizard”
🌊 Marine reptile🕰️ Jurassic🐟 piscivore🦴 Ophthalmosauridae
6 m
Length
1.2 m
Height
950 kg
Weight
A dolphin-shaped ichthyosaur famous for its enormous eyes — among the largest of any animal — ideal for hunting squid in deep, dark water. Like other ichthyosaurs it gave birth to live young at sea. A marine reptile, not a dinosaur.
When
Late Jurassic, ~165–150 million years ago
Found in
United Kingdom
Discovered
Harry Seeley, 1874
Did you know?
- Had some of the largest eyes of any animal, up to ~23 cm across.
- Those huge eyes suited hunting in deep, dark water.
- Gave birth to live young in the open sea.
Artwork: Fishboy86164577, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.