Species Hydrophis major (Shaw, 1802)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Hydrus major Shaw, G. 1802. General Zoology, or Systematic Natural History. Pt. 2. Amphibia. London : Kearsley Vol. 3 pp. vii 313-615. [558, pl. 124] [other syntype, BMNH iii.9.1.a, referred to Astrotia stokesii].

  Type data:

   Lectotype BMNH 1946.1.9.24, Indian Ocean (as Indean Seas).

  Subsequent designation references:

  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. [246].

  Type locality references:

  Smith, M.A. 1926. Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London : British Museum xvii 130 pp.
• Disteira doliata 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 [199, 210, pl. 57 fig. 2].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, (presumed lost), Australia.
• Pelamis shavii Merrem, B. 1820. Versuch eines Systems Amphibien. Tentamen Systematis Amphibiorum. Marburg : Krieger xv 199 pp. [139] [unnecessary replacement name for Hydrus major Shaw, 1802].
• Hydrophis mentalis Gray, J.E. 1842. Monographic synopsis of the water snakes, or the family Hydridae. pp. 59-68 in Gray, J.E. (ed.). The Zoological Miscellany. London : Treuttel, Würz & Co. [62].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH 1946.1.9.24, Indian Ocean.
• Hydrophis lacepedei Jan, G. 1859. Prodrome d'une Iconographie descriptive des Ophidiens, et description sommaire de nouvelles espèces de Serpents venimeux. Reprinted from: Rev. Mag. Zool. (2)10 and (2)11-12, 1858 and 1859. Paris : Bouchard-Huzard. 32 pp. [pl. D] [lapsus for Disteira dumerilii Jan, 1858, see Smith, M.A. 1926. Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London : British Museum xvii 130 pp.].

  Secondary source:

   Smith, M.A. 1926. Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London : British Museum xvii 130 pp.
• Disteira dumerilii Jan, G. 1859. Plan d'une Iconographie descriptive des Ophidiens, et description sommaire de nouvelles espèces des Serpents. Revue et Magasin de Zoologie (Paris) 2 11: 148-157 [149].

  Type data:

   Holotype MNHP 7705, Australia.
• Distira nasalis De Vis, C.W. 1905. A new genus of lizards. Annals of the Queensland Museum 6: 46-52 pl. 15 [48].

  Type data:

   Holotype QM J203, QLD coast.

 

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. [246]

 

Generic Combinations

• Disteira major (Shaw, 1802).
• Hydrophis major (Shaw, 1802). —
  Bauer, A.M. & Sadlier, R.A. (eds) 2000. The Herpetofauna of New Caledonia. Contributions to Herpetology. Ithaca, New York : Society for Study Amphibians and Reptiles.

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Arafura Sea, Coral Sea, Timor Sea; also New Guinea

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IMCRA

Timor Transition (1), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northwest Province (4), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41), Central Western Transition (5)

Ecological Descriptors

Aquatic, continental shelf, estuary, inshore, nektonic, piscivore, predator.

Extra Ecological Information

Perennially active, viviparous.

 

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)

McDowell, S.B. 1972. The genera of sea-snakes of the Hydrophis group (Serpentes: Elapidae). Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 32: 189-247 (taxonomy)

Okonogi, T., Hattori, Z. Fukami, M., Inoue, T., Sato, M., Ajiki, Y. & Kogure, Y. 1980. A miscellany report of sea snakes. The Snake 12: 19-24 (natural history)

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

 

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-headed Sea Snake)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
04-Feb-2023	ELAPIDAE Boie, 1827	31-Oct-2023	MODIFIED
07-Feb-2024	ELAPIDAE	07-Oct-2014	MODIFIED
07-Feb-2024		26-Aug-2013	MODIFIED
08-Mar-2011		02-May-2011	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)