Hydrophis spiralis (Shaw, 1802)

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P., 2023, Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution, Zootaxa 5287 (1), pp. 1-378 : 197

Hydrophis spiralis (Shaw, 1802) — Native; Indeterminate.

Hydrus Spiralis Shaw, 1802b: 564–565 , pl. 125. Holotype: BMNH 1946.1 .6.94 (formerly BM III.6.10.c), by original designation. Type locality: None stated/traced; later designated as “Indian Ocean” by Ģnther (1864: 366).

Yellow Sea Snake

( Figure 22H )

Singapore records.

Distira robusta —Sclater, 1891a: 65.

Distira brugmansii —Wall, 1906: 263.

Hydrophis brugmansii —Sworder, 1923: 68.

Hydrophis spiralis — Smith, 1926: 48.— Smith, 1930: 75.— de Haas, 1950: 594.—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 54.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.— Iskandar & Colijn, 2001: 136.— Das, 2010: 322.— Das, 2012a: 97.— Das, 2018: 116.

Leioselasma spiralis —K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 149.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 148.— Wallach et al., 2014: 368.

Remarks. Similar to H. schistosus , H. spiralis is only known from Singapore from a single specimen, which was collected by Davison and is deposited at ZSI (Sclater 1891a). Voris and Jeffries collected two specimens from around Horsburgh Lighthouse (on Pedra Branca), but these records are excluded (refer to “A note on sea snakes in Singapore ” above). Certainly, the occurrence of H. spiralis in Singapore needs to be substantiated, but given the lack of research on sea snakes, we include H. spiralis as native.

Occurrence. Known from one specimen predating 1891. Rare.

Singapore conservation status. Not Evaluated.

Conservation priority. Highest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2010].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. No specimens.

Additional Singapore museum specimens. No specimens.

Singapore localities. No published localities.

Figures

FIGURE 22. A) Calliophis intestinalis, B) Hydrophis hardwickii, C) Hydrophis hardwickii, D) Hydrophis platurus, E) Hydrophis platurus, F) Hydrophis schistosus, G) Hydrophis schistosus, and H) Hydrophis spiralis. Photographs by: Kelvin K.P. Lim [A–B, D, F], Evan S.H. Quah [C, G], Alex Figueroa [E], and Sanjaya Bandara [H].