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A nearly complete skeleton found along the Jurassic Coast has been identified as a new kind of ichthyosaur, a type of prehistoric marine reptile that once ruled the oceans.

The dolphin-sized ichthyosaur has been named Xiphodracon goldencapensis, or the "sword dragon of Dorset" and represents the only known specimen of its type.

Researchers report that indentations on its skull suggest the "sword dragon" may have been killed by a attack to the head, potentially delivered by a much larger species of ichthyosaur.

Initially found by a prolific fossil hunter at Golden Cap in Dorset in 2001, the recently identified ichthyosaur was later acquired by a museum in Canada.

Only in recent times been fully analyzed by specialists and a paper published classifying it as a previously unknown type of ichthyosaur.

"I carefully considered about the name," said ichthyosaur specialist Dr Dean Lomax, who co-authored the study classifying the fossil as a new species.

"The name Xiphodracon means sword-like dragon and that refers to that extremely elongated, sword-like snout, but also the fact that ichthyosaurs have been referred to as sea dragons for about 200 years."

Prehistoric Ocean Creatures

Ichthyosaurs are classified as marine reptiles, rather than dinosaurs, because they spent their lives in the water. The discovered ichthyosaur is believed to have swum the seas about 185 million years ago, a period from which very few ichthyosaur remains have been found.

"In this period ichthyosaurs are extremely uncommon, and Xiphodracon is the best preserved individual ever discovered from there, helping to fill a gap," Dr Lomax said. "It's a missing piece of the mystery in ichthyosaur evolution."

Distinctive Features

The "sword dragon" is thought to have been about 3m long and has multiple features that have not been seen in other types of ichthyosaur.

• Researchers report the strangest feature is a prong-like bone near its nose opening
• The skull has an enormous eye socket
• An extended sword-like nose that it used to eat fish and squid

Life and Death

Evidence also exists as to how this specific individual lived and died.

"Its fins and dental structure are malformed in such a way that indicates serious injury or disease while the creature was still alive," stated study co-author Dr Erin Maxwell.

"The skull appears to have been bitten by a sizeable hunter - probably another much larger type of ichthyosaur - giving us a cause of death for this individual. Life in the Mesozoic oceans was a risky situation."

Discovery and Analysis

This "sword dragon" was discovered in 2001 by fossil hunter Chris Moore and then acquired by the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada where it took more than 15 years to be fully analyzed.

"I don't wish to blow my own ichthyosaur trumpet but I have found a few of them," Mr Moore said.

The actual number he's discovered is somewhere in the region of 15, with several of them, like the "sword dragon", turning out to be previously unknown types.

Mr Moore says he is planning to celebrate the recent finding but has yet to decide precisely what form the recognition will take.

"Champagne or a mug of tea, I'm not sure which yet," he commented.

The 'sword dragon' is one of numerous ichthyosaur remains that have been discovered along Dorset's Jurassic Coast since the first discoveries of trailblazing palaeontologist Mary Anning in the early 1800s.