Hydrophis [Enhydrina] schistosus ( Daudin, 1803 ) (Daudin, 1803)

Leviton, Alan E., Siler, Cameron D., Weinell, Jeffrey L. & Brown, Rafe M., 2018, Synopsis of the Snakes of the Philippines A Synthesis of Data from Biodiversity Repositories, Field Studies, and the Literature, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (Oxford, England) 64 (14), pp. 399-568 : 465-466

Hydrophis [Enhydrina] schistosus ( Daudin, 1803)

Photo figure 99

Beaked Sea Snake; Hooked-nosed Sea Snake

Hydrophis schistosus Daudin, 1803 , 7:386.

Enhydrina schistosa, Smith, 1926:36 , fig. 17; 1943:449, fig. 144.— McCarthy, 1993b:227.— David and Ineich, 1999:92.— Whitaker and Captain, 2004:390, photo (p. 391).— Wallach, Williams, and Boundy, 2014:265.

Disteira schistosa, McDowell, 1972:239–244 .

Hydrophis [Enhydrina] schistosus, Leviton, Brown, and Siler, 2014:510 , figs. 20A, 21B, 22, 45.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE SPECIMEN (S).— “Restricted to Tranquebar [= Tharangambadi ], Tamil Nadu State, SE India... fide M.A. Smith (1926 a: 39)” ( Wallach et al. [2014:265]; see also Bauer [2015:46]). Type based on Russell, 1801, p. 11, pl. x and p. 13, pl. xi. According to Wallach et al. (op. cit.), “ Holotype, BMNH 1946.1.10.7 (formerly RCSM & BMNH 1921.7.28.1 )...”

PHILIPPINE DISTRIBUTION.— Philippines (although there are no specific records, its wide range and occurrence in the South China Sea in muddy bottoms of coastal waters and at the mouths of streams, makes its occurrence in the coastal waters of southwestern Philippines likely).

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION (OTHER THAN PHILIPPINES).— Persian/Arabian Gulf (Iraq, Iran), Oman, Pakistan, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, east to New Guinea and Australia (David and Ineich [1999:92]).

REMARKS.— Stuebing and Inger note that “The Beaked Sea Snake is a dangerous species, with potent venom and a reputation in Peninsula Malaysia for biting fishermen. Because of its preference for muddy bottoms, it is sometimes trod upon in shallow tidal flats by people who wade barefoot while netting prawns.” (Stuebing and Inger [1999:207].)

REMARKS.— We have tentatively assigned this species to Hydrophis consistent with the treatments of Hydrophis and related nominal genera by Sanders et al. (2013) and Pyron et al. (2013).

CONSERVATION STATUS [IUCN].— Least Concern [2016] ver. 3.1.