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Aipysurus tenuis LÖNNBERG & ANDERSSON, 1913

IUCN Red List - Aipysurus tenuis - Data Deficient, DD

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Higher TaxaElapidae (Hydrophiinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Arafura Sea Snake 
SynonymAipysurus tenuis LÖNNBERG & ANDERSSON 1913: 13
Aipysurus tenuis — SMITH 1974: 100
Aipysurus tenuis — COGGER 1983: 244
Aipysurus tenuis — COGGER 2000: 704
Oceanius tenuis
Aipysurus tenuis — WILSON & SWAN 2010
Aipysurus tenuis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 23 
DistributionAustralia (Western Australia), Arafura Sea.

Type locality: Cape Jaubert, near Broome, W. A.  
Reproductionovovivparous 
TypesSyntypes: NRM (NHRM) 2400 (3 specimens) 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: Ventral and subcaudal counts high (187-192 and 37 respectively). (Smith 1974)

Description: A moderately large species (up to 1020 mm) resembling A. laevis but much more slender, especially anteriorly. Rostral much wider than high. One preocular, postoculars 2. Frontal partly divided. Upper labials 7 or 8, often horizontally divided, especially anteriorly. Parietals irregularly divided. 2 or 3 small anterior temporals. Scale rows 19, all scales smooth and imbricate in the female; the outer three or four rows with a small tubercle in the male. Ventrals with a series of small tubercles along the free margin. Ventrals 187-192; subcaudals 37. (Smith 1974)

Coloration: Light brown with dark brown spots on tips of scales forming longitudinal lines on the back and more or less distinct cross bars on sides. Belly almost unspotted. Head above dark brown. (Smith 1974) 
CommentVenomous!

Habitat: marine. 
References
  • Cogger, H. G. 1975. The sea snakes of Australia and New Guinea. pp. 59-139 in Dunson, W. (ed. ) The Biology of Sea Snakes. Baltimore: University Park Press
  • Cogger, H. G. 2014. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 7th ed. CSIRO Publishing, xxx + 1033 pp. - get paper here
  • Cogger, H.G. 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th ed. Ralph Curtis Publishing, Sanibel Island, 808 pp.
  • Kharin, V. E. 1981. A review of sea snakes of the genus Aipysurus (Serpentes, Hydrophiidae). Zoological Zhurnal 60 (2): 257-264
  • Kharin, V.E.; Cheblyukov, V.P. 2006. On a new record of a poorly known and rare sea snake Aipysurus tenuis Lönnberg et Andersson, 1913 (Serpentes: Hydrophiidae) in the waters of Australia. Russian Journal of Marine Biology 32 (3): 194-197. - get paper here
  • Lönnberg, E., and L. G. Andersson. 1913. Results of Dr. E. Mjöbergs Swedish Scientific Expeditions to Australia 1910-13. III. Reptiles. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps Akademiens Handlingar, Stockholm, 52: 1-17 - get paper here
  • RASMUSSEN, ARNE REDSTED; KATE LAURA SANDERS, MICHAEL L. GUINEA & ANDREW P. AMEY 2014. Sea snakes in Australian waters (Serpentes: subfamilies Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae)—a review with an updated identification key. Zootaxa 3869 (4): 351–371 - get paper here
  • Smith, L. A. 1974. The sea snakes of Western Australia (Serpentes: Elapidae: Hydrophiinae) with a description of a new subspecies. Rec. West. Aust. Mus. 3: 93-110 - get paper here
  • Smith, M. A. 1926. Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London: British Museum, xvii + 130 pp.
  • Udyawer, V., Oxenham, K., Hourston, M., & Heupel, M. 2021. Distribution, fisheries interactions and assessment of threats to Australia’s sea snakes. Report to the National Environmental Science Program, Marine Biodiversity Hub. - get paper here
  • Udyawer, Vinay; Ruchira Somaweera, Charlotte Nitschke, Blanche d’Anastasi, Kate Sanders, Bruce L. Webber, Mathew Hourston, Michelle R. Heupel 2020. Prioritising search effort to locate previously unknown populations of endangered marine reptiles. Glob. Ecol. Conserv. 22: e01013 - get paper here
  • Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
  • Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
 
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