Metriorhynchus is an
extinct genus of marine
crocodyliform that lived in the oceans during the
Middle to
Late Jurassic.
Metriorhynchus was named by the
German palaeontologist Christian von Meyer in 1830.
Metriorhynchus was a
carnivore that spent much, if not all, its life out at sea. No
Metriorhynchus eggs or nests have been discovered, so little is known of the reptile's life cycle, unlike other large marine reptiles of the
Mesozoic, such as
plesiosaurs or
ichthyosaurs which are known to give birth to live young out at sea. Where
Metriorhynchus mated, whether on land or at sea, is currently unknown. The name
Metriorhynchus means "Moderate snout", and is derived from the
Greek Metrio- ("moderate") and -
rhynchos ("snout").