Cryptoclidus
genus of plesiosaurs
Cryptoclidus was a plesiosaur, an aquatic reptile up to 13 feet (4 m) long. It had curved, interlocking teeth, a wide skull, and large, flexible, paddle-like flippers. The fragile head and teeth could not deal with large prey. That suggests a diet of small, soft-bodied animals such as squid and small shoaling fish.
| Cryptoclidus Temporal range: Middle Jurassic
166–164 mya | |
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| skeleton cast of Cryptoclidus University of Tübingen | |
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| Genus: | †Cryptoclidus
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Cryptoclidus fossils have been found in England, France, Russia and possibly South America.
Cryptoclidus was named by Seeley in 1892. The type species is C. eurymerus.
