WHATSTHATFISH
Turtles & sea snakes

Elegant Sea Snake

Hydrophis elegans

Also known as: Bar-bellied Sea Snake

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2010
Adult
@fishx6 · Blowholes, Quobba, Carnarvon, WA, Australia · May 20141 / 7
01

Overview

Found singly, over mud and sand bottoms, around corals and rocks, in lagoons, coral and rocky reefs. These are the longest of all sea snakes and have a flattened tail which makes them excellent swimmers. Highly venomous!
Indo-West Pacific - Australia

Sea snakes are reptiles that have adapted to life underwater, they breathe air through valved nostrils, the valves close when they dive down and open when they come up for air, they usually stay down for 20-30mins before coming up for air.
These snakes also give birth to live young.
Although they have a poisonous bite that can paralyse prey they are not normally aggressive and are usually inquisitive to divers.

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How to identify

Pattern
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03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Exact location · 7
LIVES IN

Found singly, over mud and sand bottoms, around corals and rocks, in lagoons, coral and rocky reefs.

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Adult photos 7

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. orderSquamata
    4. familyElapidae
    5. genusHydrophis
    6. speciesHydrophis elegans (Gray, 1842)

    SourcesWoRMSWikipedia

    06

    More in the family

    Squamata