Species · GBIF taxon 9469710
Barracudasauroides
Mixosaurus panxianensisAlso known as Panxian Mixosaur
Barracudasauroides panxianensis was a streamlined marine reptile that navigated the warm shelf seas of Middle Triassic China roughly 245 million years ago. Equipped with a slender, elongated snout lined with pointed teeth, it darted through coastal waters to seize quick-swimming prey before larger marine predators could intervene. Its transitional body plan paired a flexible, lizard-like spinal column with paddle-like limbs and an early tail fin, marking an important evolutionary phase between primitive coastal dwellers and pelagic open-ocean ichthyosaurs.
Marine ReptileCarnivore
Licensed referenceDidier Descouens / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Belemnites
- Small actinopterygian fish
- Squid-like cephalopods
Predators
- Large nothosaurs
- Large predatory ichthyosaurs
- Saurichthys
ThreatsLarger predatory marine reptiles and shifting ocean chemistry
HabitatsWarm shallow epicontinental seas and coastal lagoons
Life span15–25 years
Classification
- FamilyMixosauridae
- SpeciesMixosaurus panxianensis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct prehistoric species known exclusively from fossil remains.
Responsible observation
- Museum Examination: Study fossil casts under angled lighting to discern tiny paddle bones.
- Matrix Observation: Look for accompanying ammonoids in Guanling Formation slabs to date the layer.
Image unavailableContemporary Close Relative Same Family
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