| Ophthalmothule | |
|---|---|
| |
| Quarry map (A) and reconstruction (B) of holotype skeleton | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | †Sauropterygia |
| Order: | †Plesiosauria |
| Superfamily: | †Plesiosauroidea |
| Family: | †Cryptoclididae |
| Genus: | †Ophthalmothule Roberts et al., 2020 |
| Type species | |
| †Ophthalmothule cryostea Roberts et al., 2020
| |
Ophthalmothule (meaning "eye of the north"), was a cryptoclidid plesiosaur dating to the latest Volgian (around the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary), found in the Slottsmøya Member Lagerstätte of the Agardhfjellet Formation in Spitsbergen. The type species is O. cryostea.[1]
Ophthalmothule was a medium-sized plesiosaur, measuring 5–5.5 metres (16–18 ft) long. It was noted to have unusually large eye sockets, which suggests a paleobiological specialization, such as deep water and/or nocturnal hunting. Along with Abyssosaurus, it is one of the youngest cryptoclidids known from boreal regions. The holotype is known from skeletal material that includes a complete cranium and a partial mandible, a complete and articulated cervical vertebrae, a set of pectoral and anterior to middle dorsal series, and the pectoral girdle and anterior humeri.[1]
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