Ichthyosaurus Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Ichthyosaurus Temporal range: Late Triassic - Early Jurassic, Rhaetian–Pliensbachian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N

Fossil specimen of I. communis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	†Ichthyosauria
Family:	†Ichthyosauridae
Genus:	†*Ichthyosaurus* De la Beche & Conybeare, 1821
Type species
†Ichthyosaurus communis De la Beche & Conybeare, 1822
Other species
†I. breviceps Owen, 1881 †I. conybeari Lydekker, 1888 †I. anningae Lomax & Massare, 2015 †I. larkini Lomax & Massare, 2017 †I. somersetensis Lomax & Massare, 2017

Fossil specimen of I. breviceps

Another species of Ichthosaurus

Ichthyosaurus was a fascinating ancient marine (ocean-dwelling) reptile. It is now extinct, meaning it no longer lives on Earth. This amazing creature swam in the oceans during the Lower Jurassic period.

Ichthyosaurus was the first type of Ichthyosaur to be discovered. A complete skeleton was found in the early 1800s (around 1810 or 1811). It was discovered by Mary Anning along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England. Many more fossils have been found in Europe. A famous place for these finds is the limestone quarries in Holzmaden, southern Germany.

Ichthyosaurus lived from about 199 to 189 million years ago. This sleek animal was a fast swimmer. It could probably swim at speeds up to 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour)!

How Ichthyosaurus Lived
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How Ichthyosaurus Lived

Reproduction and Live Birth

Ichthyosaurus gave birth to live young. This is a very interesting fact we know from fossil evidence. At first, scientists thought Ichthyosaurus laid eggs on land. However, fossils clearly show that females gave birth to live babies.

Because they gave birth to live young, Ichthyosaurus could live entirely in the water. They never needed to come onto land, even to lay eggs. This made them perfectly suited for a life in the open ocean. The babies were born tail first. This helped prevent them from drowning in the water right after birth.

Hundreds of well-preserved skeletons have been found in Jurassic rock at Holzmaden. Some of these fossils still had baby Ichthyosaurus specimens inside them. This is how we know they gave birth to live young. Similar discoveries in a related animal called Stenopterygius also show this.

Fins and Body Shape

The German fossils also show the outline of Ichthyosaurus skin. This revealed that it had a fleshy dorsal fin on its back. It also had a large caudal fin (tail fin). Other ichthyosaur fossils have shown that many of these marine reptiles had similar fins.

Amazing Sense Organs

Ichthyosaurus had very solid ear bones. These bones likely helped it sense vibrations in the water. This allowed it to hear things underwater. However, hunting by sight was its main way of finding food. It had huge, sensitive eyes. These eyes were protected by special bony shields around them.

What Ichthyosaurus Ate

Scientists have found Coprolites, which are fossilized droppings, from Ichthyosaurus. These fossils show us what it ate. Its diet mainly consisted of fish and squid.