GnathostomataOphthalmosauridae

Ophthalmosaurus icenicus

Ophthalmosaurus icenicus skeletal reconstruction, left lateral view, length ~4.1 m.
Scale bar = 1 meter
Taxon
Ophthalmosaurus icenicus Seeley, 1874
Reconstructed length
~4.1 m (13 feet)
View
Left lateral
Drawing
© Scott Hartman
Drawn
2016, revised 2026
Clade
  1. Gnathostomata
  2. Tetrapoda
  3. Amniota
  4. Sauropsida
  5. Ichthyosauria
  6. Ophthalmosauridae

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A Middle-to-Late Jurassic ichthyosaur from the Oxford Clay of England, Ophthalmosaurus means “eye lizard.” Which is a good name, as Ophthalmosaurus had enormous eyes, among the largest relative to body size of any known animal. Large eyes can gather more light, making them suited to hunting in deep, dim water.

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