Plesiosaurus
the typical group of the order Plesiosauria. The skin was naked, the head comparatively small, neck disproportionately long, and the tail short. Teeth conical and pointed, with longitudinal striations, each sunk in an independent socket. The paddles consist only of the five digits, without marginal ossicles. It was cer certainly aquatic; most probably marine, though it may have occasionally visited the shore. Its organization would fit it for swimming on or near the surface, and the length and flexibility of its neck would be eminently serviceable in capturing its prey.