Ectenosaurus

Ectenosaurus had tiny scales, only 2.7 by 2.0 millimetres, which were smaller than those of other mosasaurs of similar size.1

Its body was stiff in the front, so it could not slither like a snake. Instead, it used its tail fin to push through the water.1

Scientists have found skin impressions from Ectenosaurus that show a complex mesh of fibers, helping them understand how it swam.1

Ectenosaurus is one of the rarest mosasaurs, but it had at least four different species.2

Stable isotope studies suggest that Ectenosaurus lived in open ocean waters, not just near the shore.1

The first Ectenosaurus fossil was originally thought to be a species of Platecarpus, but later scientists gave it its own genus.1