Scientists have discovered ancient fossils from a previously unknown dinosaur-era species related to crocodiles.

They say their find, in Morocco, reveals that Jurassic crocodile relatives occupied a wider range of habitats and feeding roles than thought, highlighting the rich prehistoric ecosystems that once existed in the African country.

And they believe there are many more fossils there still to be discovered.

Unlike crocodiles, this animal had a long, narrow snout filled with uniquely thin, needle-like teeth.

The scientists from the University of Portsmouth and Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco, say the 170 million-year-old fossils were found in rocks that were formed in ancient rivers and lakes in what is now the Atlas Mountains of southeastern Morocco.

The animal, named Ctenosuchus tenuidens, belonged to a group of marine and freshwater reptiles, which lived during the age of the dinosaurs.

The fossil’s teeth had specialised ridges and were close together.

Lead author of the research Hamzah Imran, from the University of Portsmouth, said: “The teeth are so fine that we don’t think it was catching normal prey. If it caught a big fish, and the fish wriggled, those delicate teeth would get smashed.

“We think the animal was probably eating soft prey like shrimp, worms and tiny fish, so nothing that would break its teeth.

“These feeding habits make this particular species very different to other long-snouted crocodiles, so it really is quite an exciting discovery.”

The researchers say it shows that different groups of prehistoric animals evolved similar feeding adaptations independently as the teeth resemble those seen in some ancient aquatic reptiles called mesosaurs, and even certain long-snouted pterosaurs that lived millions of years later.

They hope the discovery will help them better understand the diversity and ecology of ancient crocodile relatives that lived in the southern supercontinent Gondwana, which included modern-day Africa.

Mr Imran said: “It shows there is much more out there that needs to be explored. Morocco has an incredibly rich fossil history, but there is still so much waiting to be discovered.”

The paper is published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.