Hydrophis curtus
| Hydrophis curtus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Hydrophis |
| Species: | H. curtus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hydrophis curtus (Shaw, 1802)
| |
Hydrophis curtus, also known as Shaw's Sea Snake, short sea snake, but often includes Hydrophis hardwickii[2] is a species of sea snake. Like most Hydrophiinae sea snakes, it is a viviparous, fully marine, and front fanged elapid that is highly venomous.[3] It is collected for a variety of purposes including human and animal food, for medicinal purposes and for their skin.[1]
Description
This species is characterized by a wide variation in number of ventral scales and degree of parietal scale fragmentation.[2] Both sexes possess spiny scales along their bodies but males have more highly developed spines. This sexual dimorphism in spines may play a role in courtship or in locomotion by reducing drag.[2]
Distribution
It is a widely distributed species and like most sea snakes is restricted to warmer, tropical waters. Its range includes:
- Persian Gulf (Oman, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Iran)
- Indian Ocean (Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India)
- South China Sea (north to the coasts of Fujian and Shandong)
- Strait of Taiwan
- Indo-Australian Archipelago
- North Coast of Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia)
- Philippines (Panay)
- Pacific Ocean (Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Japan, New Guinea)
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Cambodia and Singapore [1]
Taxonomy
Originally considered to be two species of the genus Hydrophis: Hydrophis curtus and Hydrophis hardwickii. Gritis and Voris (1990) examined the morphological variation of over 1,400 specimens across its geographic range and concluded it is most likely a single species.[2][1] As is convention, the species name reverts to the first description by Shaw in 1802. DNA and morphological analysis restored its phylogenic status as a single species.[4] An analysis of the population in 2014 found strong evidence of deep divergence and genetic isolation across the geographical range, supporting a division of the species to Indian Ocean and West Pacific groups and high likelihood of cryptic taxa within those groups.[5]
Hydrodynamic sense
They have corpuscles (scale sensillae) concentrated on the front of their head which may be a hydrodynamic receptor.[6] A study measuring brain response to water vibration found that L. curtus is sensitive to low amplitude (100–150 Hz) water motions.[7] Sensing water motion is useful in locating prey, predators, or potential mates and has been demonstrated in other aquatic animals (e.g. lateral line in fish, whiskers in harbour seals).[8]
References
- Notes
- ^ a b c d Rasmussen, A.R.; Crowe-Riddell, J.M.; Courtney, T.; Sanders, K. (2021). "Hydrophis curtus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021 e.T176746A132780885. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T176746A132780885.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d Gritis, P.; H. K. Voris (1990). "Variability and significance of parietal and ventral scales in the marine snakes of the genus Lapemis (Serpentes: Hydrophiidae), with comments on the occurrence of spiny scales in the genus". Fieldiana Zool. 56: i-iii + 1-13.
- ^ Heatwole H. (1999). Sea Snakes. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press.
- ^ Sanders, K. L.; Mumpuni, Lee M. S. Y. (2010). "Uncoupling ecological innovation and speciation in sea snakes (Elapidae, Hydrophiinae, Hydrophiini". J. Evol. Biol. 23 (12): 2685–2693.
- ^ Ukuwela, Kanishka D. B.; de Silva, Anslem; Mumpuni; Fry, Bryan G.; Sanders, Kate L. (September 2014). "Multilocus phylogeography of the sea snake reveals historical vicariance and cryptic lineage diversity". Zoologica Scripta. 43 (5): 472–484. doi:10.1111/zsc.12070. S2CID 52838839.
- ^ Povel, D.; Kooij, J.v.d. (1997). "Scale sensillae of the file snake (Serpentes: Acrochordidae) and some other aquatic and burrowing snakes". Neth. J. Zool. 47: 443–456.
- ^ Westhoff G; Fry BG; Bleckmann H. (2005). "Sea snakes (Lapemis curtus) are sensitive to low-amplitude water motions". Zoology. 108: 195–200.
- ^ Dehnhardt G; Mauck B; Bleckmann H (1998). "Seal whiskers detect water movements". Nature. 394: 235–236.
- Sources
- Anderson, J. (1871). "A list of the reptilian accession to the Indian Museum, Calcutta, from 1865 to 1870, with a description of some new species". J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Calcutta. 40 (part 11(1)): 12–39.
- Rasmussen, A. R.; I. Ineich (2000). "Sea snakes of New Caledonia and surrounding waters (Serpentes: Elapidae): first report on the occurrence of Lapemis curtus and description of new species from the genus Hydrophis". Hamadryad. 25 (2): 91–99.