Species Hydrophis ocellatus Gray, 1849
Spotted Sea Snake, Spotted Seasnake
- Hydrophis ocellata Gray, J.E. 1849. Catalogue of the Specimens of Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum. London : Trustees of the British Museum xv 125 pp. [53].
Type data:
Holotype BMNH 1946.1.3.91, Australia.
Introduction
Rasmussen et al. (2014) comment "There is no evidence that H. ornatus does occur in Australian waters. [They] therefore include H. ornatus neither in the checklist nor in the list of possible Australian sea snakes." Australian specimens previously identified as H. ornatus are now considered all to be H. ocellatus.
Distribution
States
New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia
Extra Distribution Information
Throughout coastal waters of northern Australia, further south during late summer; New Guinea
IMCRA
Timor Transition (1), Central Eastern Transition (15), Kenn Transition (16), Kenn Province (17), Northeast Province (18), Northeast Transition (19), Cape Province (20), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)
Other Regions
Coral Sea Islands Territory, Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater
Ecological Descriptors
Aquatic, continental shelf, diurnal, inshore, nektonic, piscivore.
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)
Cogger, H.G. 2014. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. Collingwood : CSIRO publishing 7th edition, pp. xxx+1033. [965] (as H. ornatus)
Heatwole, H. 1981. Temperature relations of some sea snakes. The Snake 13: 53-57 (thermoregulation)
Lemen, C.A. & Voris, H.K. 1981. A comparison of reproductive strategies among marine snakes. Journal of Animal Ecology 50: 89-101 (reproduction)
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)
Rasmussen, A.R., Sanders, K.L., Guinea, M.L. & Amey, A.P. 2014. Sea snakes in Australian waters (Serpentes: subfamilies Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae)—a review with an updated identification key. Zootaxa 3869(4): 351-371 [355]
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. [47] (Spotted Seasnake)
Cogger, H.G. 2014. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. Collingwood : CSIRO publishing 7th edition, pp. xxx+1033. [965] (Spotted Sea Snake)
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07-Feb-2024 | SQUAMATA | 02-May-2024 | MODIFIED | |
| 04-Feb-2023 | ELAPIDAE Boie, 1827 | 04-Jan-2024 | MODIFIED | |
| 07-Feb-2024 | ELAPIDAE | 07-Oct-2014 | MODIFIED | |
| 07-Feb-2024 | 05-Jun-2012 | MOVED | ||
| 07-Feb-2024 | 05-Jun-2012 | MODIFIED | ||
| 08-Mar-2011 | 08-Mar-2011 | MODIFIED | ||
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |