Aipysurus mosaicus SANDERS, RASMUSSEN, ELMBERG, MUMPUNI, GUINEA, BLIAS, LEE & FRY, 2012
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Aipysurus mosaicus?
Aipysurus mosaicus
We have no photos, try to find some by Google images search: 
| Higher Taxa | Elapidae (Hydrophiinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Aipysurus mosaicus SANDERS, RASMUSSEN, ELMBERG, MUMPUNI, GUINEA, BLIAS, LEE & FRY 2012 Aipysurus eydouxii (GRAY 1849) (part) Aipysurus mosaicus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 23 |
| Distribution | Australia Type locality: Gulf of Carpentaria near Weipa, Australia |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous. |
| Types | Holotype: QM J93428 (previously SAMA R65222). A small adult male collected in October 2000 by B.F. Fry. Tail tissue stored in ethanol in the ABTC-SAM. Paratype. SAMA R23493. An adult female collected in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia. Tissue stored frozen in the ABTC-SAM. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Aipysurus mosaicus is distinct from seven of the eight species (except A. eydouxii) of Aipysurus using external characters. Aipysurus apraefrontalis and A. foliosquama have ventrals with a deep median notch on the posterior edge, A. mosaicus has ventrals lacking a median notch. Aipysurus tenuis has more than 170 ventrals, A. mosaicus has 140–154. Aipysurus duboisii, A. fuscus, A. laevis, and A. pooleorum have more than 17 scale rows around midbody and at least some of the head shields are usually broken up into smaller plates, A. mosaicus has 17 scale rows around body and head shields that are normally symmetrical and not broken up. Aipysurus mosaicus is clearly distinct from A. eydouxii in a number of external and internal characters. Aipysu- rus eydouxii has 29 or more bands on body, A. mosaicus has 22 body bands or fewer. In our sample, the following characters differ significantly between A. eydouxii and A. mosaicus when compared intrasexually: number of body bands, tail bands, ventrals, subcaudals, as well as heart and liver positions (absolute and relative). Compared to A. eydouxii, A. mosaicus has a larger premaxilla, a smaller maxilla, a cresent-shaped (rather than triangular) nasal, an anteriorly concave (rather than straight) frontoparietal suture, and dorsally-expanded caudal neural spines [from SANDERS et al. 2012]. |
| Comment | Habitat: marine. |
| Etymology | Named from the Latin mosaicus in reference to the mosaic-like pattern of dark and light scales arranged in irregularly staggered cross-bands. We suggest the common name mosaic sea snake for this species. |
| References |
|
| External links |