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Scientists have discovered the remains of a mysterious, enormous sea creature which grew to lengths of over 20ft and dominated the oceans more than 180 million years ago.

A fossil of the beast revealed it had endured several significant injuries during its lifetime. As its complete form is not intact, researchers were unable to determine the exact species.

However, the creature is believed to be an Ichthyosaur, belonging to the Temnodontosaurus genus. It was unearthed at the Mistelgau clay pit near Bayreuth in Germany, a site well known for its exceptionally preserved marine fossils.

Bearing a striking resemblance to modern-day dolphins, the creature is thought to have measured over 6.5m (20ft) in length - equivalent to two tractors placed end to end.

During recent digs, researchers uncovered numerous sections of its skeleton, including fragments of the skull and lower jaw, the shoulder girdle, forefins, the spine, and more than 100 teeth, providing a thorough understanding of its anatomical characteristics, reports the Mirror US.

"Our Temnodontosaurus fossil is one of the youngest finds of this ichthyosaur genus to date. Until now, representatives of this genus have mainly been known from older geological layers," said Ulrike Albert, an author of the study published in the journal Zitteliana.

"The discovery from Mistelgau now shows that these large marine reptiles survived longer in the Southwest German Basin than previously documented," said Dr Albert, a palaeontologist from the Bavarian State Collections of Natural History.

The fossil specimen displayed a number of extraordinary features, including modifications to the skeleton, most likely caused by injuries sustained during its lifetime.

Researchers suggest that some of these may have affected the reptile's shoulder and jaw joints, making daily life considerably difficult.

"Pathologies primarily affecting the pectoral girdle and mandibular joint likely influenced the animal's hunting and feeding behaviour, resulting in abraded teeth and the presence of gastroliths," they wrote in the study.

Gastroliths are small stones discovered in the stomachs of prehistoric reptiles, which the creatures swallowed to help in breaking down and digesting their food.

Scientists note such stones are exceptionally rare in ichthyosaurs such as Temnodontosaurus. Researchers believe the fossilised animal may have been forced to change its diet in order to survive its injuries.

"The injuries likely significantly limited the animal's ability to catch prey," said Stefan Eggmaier, another author of the study.

"The fact that it nevertheless survived is evidenced, among other things, by its heavily worn teeth and gastroliths, which we were able to identify in the abdominal region," Dr Eggmaier said.

The ongoing excavations form part of broader research aimed at furthering understanding of the ecology of the Jurassic Sea.

Experts are hopeful of conducting further analyses of teeth and bone structures unearthed at the Mistelgau site, in order to gain deeper insight into the prehistoric region's ecology.