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Hydrophis lapemoides

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
ANIMALIA CHORDATA REPTILIA SQUAMATA ELAPIDAE

Scientific Name: Hydrophis lapemoides
Species Authority: (Gray, 1849)
Common Name/s:
English – Arabian Gulf Sea Snake
Synonym/s:
Aturia lapemoides Gray, 1849
Chitulia lapemoides (Gray, 1849)
Distira lapemoides (Gray, 1849)
Taxonomic Notes: This species is sometimes treated under the genus Chitulia.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published: 2010
Assessor/s: Rasmussen, A., Sanders, K. & Lobo, A.
Reviewer/s: Livingstone, S.R., Elfes, C.T., Polidoro, B.A. & Carpenter, K.E. (Global Marine Species Assessment Coordinating Team)
Contributor/s:
Justification:
This is a widespread species with no major threats hence it is listed as Least Concern.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description: This species is found in the Arabian Gulf east to India and Sri Lanka (Heatwole 1999). It is also found in West Pakistan (Minton 1962). Specimens have been collected from the west coast of peninsular Thailand, Melanesia and Singapore (A. Rasmussen pers. comm. 2009).
Countries:
Native:
Bahrain; Bangladesh; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Kuwait; Malaysia; Myanmar; Oman; Pakistan; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; Sri Lanka; Thailand; United Arab Emirates
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:
Native:
Indian Ocean – eastern; Indian Ocean – western
Range Map: Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population: This species was a common bycatch in trawlers in Phuket harbour (Thailand) between 1985 and 1989 (Rasmussen 1993). In India, this species is rare, recorded from along the south and east coasts of India (A. Lobo pers. comm. 2009).
Population Trend: Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology: This is a little-known species, but it feeds on fish. One was collected off Pakistan at a depth of two fathoms (Minton 1966). Found at depths of 27-30 m, over a gravel substrate (Rasmussen 1993).
Systems: Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s): This species is occasionally caught as bycatch by trawlers.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions: There are no species-specific conservation measures for this species, but it may occur in marine protected areas.
Citation: Rasmussen, A., Sanders, K. & Lobo, A. 2010. Hydrophis lapemoides. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2013.
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