Hydrophis donaldi UKUWELA, SANDERS & FRY, 2012
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Hydrophis donaldi
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| Higher Taxa | Elapidae (Hydrophiinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: rough scaled sea snake |
| Synonym | Hydrophis donaldi UKUWELA, SANDERS & FRY 2012 Hydrophis donaldi — WALLACH et al. 2014: 340 |
| Distribution | N Australia (Queensland: Gulf of Carpentaria) Type locality: Gulf of Carpentaria, Weipa, Queensland, Australia (12°35'10.88" S, 141°57'47.21" E) |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: QM J90700 (Figs. 1A–C and 2A–B), an adult male, by B. G. Fry on 15th October, 2000. Liver tissue stored in ethanol in the QM (Accession no: 007903). Paratypes (n = 7). SAMA |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Hydrophis donaldi sp. nov. is distinguished from all other Hydrophis species except H. coggeri, H. sibauensis and H. torquatus diadema by the following combination of characters: ventrals not divided by a longitudinal furrow, 29–30 costal scale rows around neck, 33–35 costal scales around body, 6–7 maxillary teeth behind fang on each side, 246–288 ventrals (Rasmussen et al. 2001; Smith 1926). The new species differs from H. coggeri by having 47–56 (vs 30–42) bands on the body and tail, strongly spinous (vs feebly carinate) body scales, 246–288 (vs 280–360) ventrals, relatively larger and rounded (vs smaller, elongate) head, and anterior part of the maxilla not arched upwards and the tip of the fang projecting below the level of the maxillary teeth (Fig 1D) (vs anterior part of the maxilla arched upwards and tip of fang not projecting below the level of the maxillary teeth) (Cogger 2000). The new species differs from H. sibauensis by a higher number of scale rows around the neck 29–30 (vs 25–26 in H. sibauensis) and strongly spinous (vs feebly carinate) body scales (Rasmussen et al. 2001). Hydrophis donaldi sp. nov. differs from H. torquatus diadema by a lower midbody scale count (33–35 vs 35–42 in H. torquatus diadema) and strongly spinous (vs feebly carinate) body scales (Smith 1926). |
| Comment | Venomous! Habitat: marine |
| Etymology | The species is named to honour Dave Donald, the skipper of the boat who worked tirelessly with us and whose local knowledge facilitated the discovery of this species. We propose the common name ‘rough scaled sea snake’ for this species due to its strongly keeled body scales. |
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