A bizarre, prehistoric sea-dwelling reptile with a weird hammerhead mouth has been identified by archaeologists as the first herbivorous or plant eating marine reptile.

Atopodentatus unicus that thrived 243 million years ago after the Permian-Triassic extinction event (also known as the Great Dying) in China's Yunnan Province used its jaw scoop-up algae and underwater plants much like a baleen whale ingests massive numbers of krill. Scientists called the creature the first vegetarian marine reptile ever discovered.

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"We were blown away by this," said Nick Fraser, a paleontologist at the National Museum of Scotland. "There were some strange animals around (back then), and this reminds me of one of those Dr. Seuss creations in Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!"

Scientists came to the conclusion the fossil was a herbivore by closely analyzing a small skull fragment just 11.4 centimeters wide. Their analysis showed the front of the wide mouth was lined with a bunch of big, sharp teeth.

Atopodentatus unicus (Latin for "unique peculiar teeth") had a slender body measuring some three meters long. It was propelled underwater by a pair of flippers and seems to have had a short neck. The reptile's imposing mouth lined with hundreds of densely packed, needlelike teeth drew most of the scientist's attention, however.

Scientists believe Atopodentatus unicus used its huge mouth and needle teeth to pry algae from the ocean floor. The animal then vacuumed-in algae-laden water and filtered the water out through its densely packed teeth, leaving the algae and other marine plants inside its mouth.

Fraser said it was very difficult looking at the fossil itself to see how the creature's vacuum cleaner-type mouth worked.

"So we bought some clay and toothpicks and arranged them in this jaw and saw what was going on."

Their study was published in Science Advances.

TagsAtopodentatus unicus, National Museum of Scotland, Nick Fraser, science advances