What is Clidastes?
{{Taxobox |name = ''Clidastes'' | image = Clidastes liodontus cropped.jpg | image_width = 250px | image_caption = Skeleton formerly referred to ''C. liodontus'' |regnum = [[Animal]]ia |phylum = [[Chordata]] |classis = [[Reptilia]] |ordo = [[Squamata]] |familia = [[Mosasaur]]idae |genus = '''''Clidastes''''' |genus_authority = [[Edward Drinker Cope|Cope]], 1868 |fossil_range = [[Late Cretaceous]], [[Coniacian]]-[[Campanian]], {{fossilrange|85|80|latest=80}} |subfamilia = [[Mosasaurinae]] |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = * '''''C. propython''''' <small>Cope, 1869 ([[type (biology)|type]])</small> * '''''C. iguanavus''''' <small>Cope, 1868 (former type species)</small> }} '''''Clidastes''''' is an extinct [[genus]] of [[mosasaur]] from [[Marine biology|marine]] environments of the late [[Cretaceous]].<ref>Cope E.D. 1869. On the reptilian orders, Pythonomorpha and Streptosauria. ''Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History'' '''12''': 250–266.</ref> It was an agile and fast swimmer which cruised the surface or shallow waters hunting for prey. ''Clidastes'' was one of the smallest of the mosasaurs, averaging {{convert|2|–|4|m|ft|sp=us}} in length, with the largest specimens reaching {{convert|6.2|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} long. It had a delicate, slim form with an expansion near the tip of the tail. This enabled it to chase down the fastest of prey. == References == {{reflist}} {{biology-stub}} [[Category:Mosasaurs]]