A group of international scientists discovered a rare fossil of an ancient reptilian creature with an “extraordinarily long neck” and “flippered limbs” that swam in the waters of Southern China around 240 million years ago.

The new fossil of the unusual reptile is the most complete one found to date, allowing the researchers to create a full picture of what they believe the animal looked like for the first time.

The Dinocephalosaurus orientalis, which scientists said looked similar to a “Chinese dragon,” is a 16-foot-long aquatic reptile that existed during the Triassic period in Southern China.

The fossil dates back to around 240 million years old, the National Museums of Scotland announced, and includes the animal’s imprint curled up with its long neck wrapped in a circle

The reptile had a shockingly long neck with 32 vertebrae, which gave the animal a snake-like appearance, the scientists said.

It also had flippered limbs and was “clearly very well adapted to an oceanic lifestyle.” The fossil included “exquisitely preserved” fishes in the reptile’s stomach region.

“Despite superficial similarities, Dinocephalosaurus was not closely related to the famous long-necked plesiosaurs that only evolved around 40 million years later and which inspired the myth of the Loch Ness Monster,” scientists said.

The animal was first identified in 2003, but the recent fossil found has allowed scientists to have a deeper understanding of what the reptile looks like.

Scientists said the creature appears to look like the “mythical Chinese dragon.”

“This discovery allows us to see this remarkable long-necked animal in full for the very first time,” Nick Fraser FRSE, Keeper of Natural Sciences at National Museums Scotland said.

“It is yet one more example of the weird and wonderful world of the Triassic that continues to baffle paleontologists,” he added. “We are certain that it will capture imaginations across the globe due to its striking appearance, reminiscent of the long and snake-like, mythical Chinese Dragon.”

American, British, and European scientists worked together for 10 years to build “existing knowledge” on the animal at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where the fossil was kept.

“This remarkable marine reptile is another example of the stunning fossils that continue to be discovered in China,” said professor Robert Ellam, the editor-in-chief of Earth and Environmental Science: Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, where the paper was published.