Teleosauridae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Teleosauridae
Fossil range: Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous
Pelagosaurus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Subclass: Diapsida
Infraclass: Archosauromorpha
(unranked) Mesoeucrocodylia
Suborder: Thalattosuchia
Family: Teleosauridae
Genera

?Peipehsuchus
Teleosaurus
Steneosaurus
Pelagosaurus
Machimosaurus
Platysuchus

The teleosaurids were marine crocodilians similar to the modern gharial. They had long snouts, indicative of piscivory (fish eating) and were the closest relatives to the Metriorhynchidae, the Mesozoic crocodilians that returned to the sea and evolved paddle-like forelimbs and a fish-like tail.