Rhacheosaurus

Rhacheosaurus is an extinct genus of marine crocodyliform belonging to the family Metriorhynchidae. The genus was established by Christian von Meyer in 1831 for skeletal remains from the Tithonian (Late Jurassic) of Germany.
History and classification.
A phylogenetic analysis in 2009 showed that several long-snouted species formerly classified in the related genera "Geosaurus", "Enaliosuchus", and "Metriorhynchus" were in fact more closely related to the original specimens of "Cricosaurus", and thus were re-classified into this genus. This analysis also resurrected the generic name "Rhacheosaurus".
Niche partitioning.
Several species of metriorhynchids are known from the Mörnsheim Formation (Solnhofen limestone, early Tithonian) of Bavaria, Germany: "Rhacheosaurus gracilis", "Dakosaurus maximus", "Geosaurus giganteus" and "Cricosaurus suevicus". It has been hypothesised that niche partitioning enabled several species of crocodyliforms to co-exist. The top predators of this Formation appear to be "D. maximus" and "G. giganteus", which were large, short-snouted species with serrated teeth. The long-snouted "C. suevicus" and "R. gracilis" would have fed mostly on fish, although the more lightly built "Rhacheosaurus" may have specialised towards feeding on small prey. In addition to these four species of metriorhynchids, a moderate-sized species of "Steneosaurus" was also contemporaneous.