Microcephalophis
| Slender sea snake | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Hydrophis |
| Species: | H. gracilis
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| Binomial name | |
| Hydrophis gracilis (Shaw, 1802)
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The graceful small-headed sea snake or slender sea snake (Hydrophis gracilis) is a species of Elapidae (Hydrophiinae-sea snake). Microcephalophis gracilis is a synonym of the snake.
Diagnostic characters
Head small, body long and slender anteriorly; scales on thickest part of body juxtaposed; 5-6 maxillary teeth behind fangs; 17-21 scale rows around neck, 30-36 around thickest part of body (increase from neck to midbody 18-24); ventrals divided by a longitudinal fissure; prefrontal in contact with third upper labial; ventrals 220-287.
Total length males 950 mm, females 1025 mm; tail length males 80 mm, females 95 mm.
Distribution
- Indian Ocean (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Philippines)
- South China Sea northward to the coast of Fujian (China)
- Persian Gulf to Bay of Bengal (Oman, United Arab Emirates, Iran)
- Coast of Malaysia through Indoaustralian Archipelago to New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia (Queensland), Melanesia, Indonesia
External links
- Microcephalophis gracilis on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility
- http://itgmv1.fzk.de/www/itg/uetz/herp/photos/Microcephalophis_gracilis.jpg[permanent dead link]
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