Brachypterygius, meaning “short fin”, was an ichthyosaur which lived around England during the late Jurassic Period 155-150 million years ago. Fossils of this animal were found at Smallmouth Sands near the seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset, England within the rock layers of the Kimmeridge Clay Formation. These strata are known for containing fossils belonging to numerous species of marine reptiles such as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, pliosaurs, and thalattosuchians. It was originally described in 1904 as a species of Ichthyosaurus, but was renamed to Brachypterygius in 1922. Brachypterygius was a member of the ichthyosaur family Ophthalmosauridae, and more specifically was a member of the sub-family Platypterygiinae. While known from only a few fossils, it appears to have been very closely related to the ichthyosaur Grendelius because both animals had short rounded fins. In fact, fossils of the two genera were once believed to be the same animal until they were split in 2015. Several partial skeletons of Grendelius have been found which gives us a good idea of what Brachypterygius looked like. It’s believed that Brachypterygius measured around 12 or 13 feet long.
Brachypterygius extremus. © Jason R. Abdale (October 30, 2025).
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