Hydrophis cyanocinctus

Scientific Name:-

Hydrophis cyanocinctus

Common Name:-

Annulated Sea Snake / Bluebanded Sea Snake

Malayalam Name:-

Neelavarayan kadalpambu

Category:-

Sea snakes

Status:-

Common

Description:-

Greenish-olive above, with blackish or olive transverse bars or annuli, broadest on the back, sometimes connected by a black band along the belly; or yellowish, with a black vertebral band and a few black bars on the neck. Head moderate. Diameter of eye less than its distance from the mouth in the adult. Rostral slightly more broad than deep. Nasals shorter than the frontal, more than twice as long as the suture between the prefrontals. Prefrontals usually in contact with the second upper labial. Frontal more long than broad, as long as its distance from the rostral or the tip of the snout. One preocular and two postoculars. Two superposed anterior temporals. Seven or eight upper labials; third, fourth, and usually fifth entering the eye. Both pairs of chin-shields in contact, or posterior pair separated by one scale. Body long. Dorsal scales subimbricate, keeled or with two or three tubercles, in 39-45 rows (27-33 anteriorly). Ventrals 281-385, smooth or with two or more tubercles. This species may grow up to 275 cm in length and is one of the longest sea snakes.

Threats:-

Trawling is the major threat to this snake in Kerala (Biju Kumar et al., 2007)

Remark:-

This species is ovoviviparous. The young are born alive in broods of 3-16. The venom of this species is neurotoxic.

Habitat:-

Hydrophis cyanocinctus inhabits shallow coastal waters. It feeds mostly on fishes such as eels and gobies and marine invertebrates.

Synonyms:-

Leioselasma cyanocincta (Daudin, 1803)

References:-

Biju Kumar, A., M. Susheel Kumar, G.R. Deepthi, & S. Mithun 2007. Sea snakes associated with trawl bycatch of Kerala coast, India. Cobra, 65 (1): 1-4.
Deepak Apte (2012). Field Guide to the Marine Life of India. Deepak Apte, Thane, Maharashtra, 502pp.
Smith, M. A. 1941. Fauna of British India. Reptilia and Batrachia.
Whitaker, R. & A. Captain. (2004). Snakes of India-The Field Guide. Draco Books, Chennai, India, 481pp.

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