Zarafasaura Oceanis belongs to the family Elasmosauridae. The generic name Zarafasaura derives from Zarafa, an Arabic word for ‘giraffe,’ and Saurus, Greek for ‘lizard.’ The specific name means ‘daughter of the sea’ in Latin.

Paleontologist Dr. Peggy Vincent from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France, and her colleagues first described the species in 2011 from incomplete skull remains found in Morocco.

Zarafasaura Oceanis was approximately 23 feet (7 meters) long and lived around 72 to 66 million years ago.

Plesiosaurus is just one genus of many that form the family Plesiosauriae. In artistic depictions, many artists do not distinguish between these types of Plesiosaur. Additionally, much of the art depicting the Plesiosaurus is heavily influenced by cryptozoid mythology surrounding the Loch Ness Monster and other similar creatures.

Existed from 228 million years ago to 61.6 million years ago

Lived in a marine environment