Hydrophis curtus
Species of snake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.[4]
| 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) | |
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][4] 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.[5] 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.[6]
Hydrodynamic sense
They have corpuscles (scale sensillae) concentrated on the front of their head which may be a hydrodynamic receptor.[7] A study measuring brain response to water vibration found that L. curtus is sensitive to low amplitude (100–150 Hz) water motions.[8] 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).[9]