Species Aipysurus laevis Lacépède, 1804

Museums

Regional Maps

• Aipsurus laevis Lacépède, B.G.E. 1804. Mémoire sur plusieurs animaux de la Nouvelle-Hollande dont la description n'a pas encore été publiée. Annales du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Paris 4: 184-211 pls 55-58 [210 pl. 56 fig 3].

  Type data:

   Neotype WAM R22384, near Locker Is., off Onslow, WA [21°44'S 114°46'E].

  Subsequent designation references:

  Smith, L.A. 1974. The sea snakes of Western Australia (Serpentes: Elapidae: Hydrophiinae) with a description of a new subspecies. Records of the Western Australian Museum 3: 93-110 [99].
• Hypotropis jukesii Gray, J.E. 1846. A new genus of sea-snake from Port Essington. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 18: 284 [284].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH 1946.1.9.53, nr Darnley Is., Torres Strait (asnr Darnley Ils, Port Essington), QLD.

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Smith, M.A. 1926. Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London : British Museum xvii 130 pp.
• Cogger, H.G., in Cogger, H.G., Cameron, E.E. & Cogger, H.M. 1983. Amphibia and Reptilia. 313 pp. in Walton, D.W. (ed.). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 1 vi + 313 pp. [244]

 

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Arafura Sea, NW Shelf, Ashmore Reef, Cartier Is., Timor Sea.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IMCRA

Timor Transition (1), Central Eastern Transition (15), Kenn Transition (16), Kenn Province (17), Northeast Province (18), Northeast Transition (19), Timor Province (2), Cape Province (20), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Northwest Transition (3), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Other Regions

Coral Sea Islands Territory, Territory of Ashmore & Cartier Islands, Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Ecological Descriptors

Aquatic, coral reef, diurnal, estuary, nectonic, piscivore, predator.

Extra Ecological Information

Aslo inshore, continental shelf, perennially active, viviparous,.

 

Notes

Non-Australian synonyms:

Aipsurus fuliginosus Duméril, A.M.C., Bibron, G. & Duméril, A. (1854). Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Paris : Roret Vol. 7(2) pp. 781-1536 [1327 pl. 77 fig. 1].
Type data: holotype MNHP 639*.
Type locality: New Caledonia.

Taxonomic decision for synonymy: Smith, M.A. (1926). Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London : British Museum xvii 130 pp.; Cogger, H.G. (1983). in Cogger, H.G., Cameron, E.E. & Cogger, H.M. Amphibia and Reptiles. In Walton, D.W. (ed.) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 1. Netley, South Australia : Griffin Press Ltd vi 313 pp. [244].

 

General References

Cogger, H.G. 1975. The sea snakes of Australia and New Guinea. pp. 59-139 in Dunson, W. (ed.). The Biology of Sea Snakes. Baltimore : University Park Press. (taxonomy)

Heatwole, H. 1981. Temperature relations of some sea snakes. The Snake 13: 53-57 (thermoregulation)

Heatwole, H., Heatwole, E. & Johnson, C.R. 1974. Shark predation on sea snakes. Copeia 1974: 780-781 (as prey)

Maeda, N. & Tamiya, N. 1976. Isolation, properties and amino acid sequences of three neurotoxins from the venom of a sea snake, Aipsurus laevis. Biochemical Journal 153: 79-87

Redfield, J.A., Holmes, J.C. & Holmes, R.D. 1978. Sea snakes of the eastern Gulf of Carpentaria. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 29(3): 325-334 (distribution and abundance)

Seymour, R.S. & Webster, M.E.D. 1975. Gas transport and blood acid-base balance in diving sea snakes. Journal of Experimental Zoology 191: 169-182 (physiology)

Smith, M.A. 1926. Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London : British Museum xvii 130 pp. (taxonomy)

Taiya, N. & Maeda, N. 1979. Neurotoxins of Australian sea snakes. pp. 95-101 in Chubb, I.W. & Greffen, L.B. (eds). Neurotoxins: Fundamental and Clinical Advances. Adelaide : Adelaide University Union Press. (venom)

 

Common Name References

Clayton, M., Wombey, J.C., Mason, I.J., Chesser, R.T. & Wells, A. 2006. CSIRO List of Australian Vertebrates: A Reference with Conservation Status. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing iv 162 pp. [46] (Olive Sea Snake)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
04-Feb-2023	ELAPIDAE Boie, 1827	30-Oct-2023	MODIFIED
07-Feb-2024		19-Mar-2013	MODIFIED
08-Mar-2011		02-May-2011	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)