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Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update: May 26th, 2024.


Taxonomy of the family Elapidae [marine species]
Bibliography of the genus Aipysurus
Biodiversity of the family Elapidae [marine species]








Genus
Aipysurus

Olive Sea Snakes, Mighty-tailed Sea Snakes

Olivfarbige Seeschlangen

Oliven-havslanger

1804 Aipysurus Lacepede (type species: Aipysurus laevis Lacepede 1804)
1846 Hypotropis Gray (type species: Hydrus jukesii Gray 1846)
1849 Tomogaster Dumeril & Bibron in Gray (type species: Tomogaster eydouxii Gray 1849)
1878 Pelagophis Peters & Doria (type species: Pelagophis lubricus Peters & Doria 1878)
1981 Smithohydrophis Kharin (type species: Aipysurus apraefrontalis Smith 1926; syn. Kharin 1981)
Contents: 9 species, of which 5 (55.6%) are endemic.
Endemism: 0% 100%
Remarks: Zaher, Grazziotin, Cadle, Murphy, Moura-Leite & Bonatto (2009) regarded Smithohydrophis as a valid genus.
Distribution: SE. Asia, Malay Archipelago, Australia, SW. Pacific Ocean.
Reported from: Australia (Ashmore & Cartier Islands, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland [incl. Fraser Island, Torres Strait Islands], Western Australia), Cambodia, Indonesia (Aru Islands, Java, Kai Islands, Kalimantan, Western New Guinea), Malaysia (Sabah, West Malaysia), New Caledonia (incl. Grande Terre, Loyalty Islands), Papua New Guinea (Eastern New Guinea), Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.

Aipysurus apraefrontalis

Short-nosed Sea Snake, White-spotted Sea Snake

Kurznasen-Seeschlange

Kortsnudet Havslange

1926 Aipysurus apraefrontalis Smith

Remarks: Records from Java are regarded as doubtful (David & Ineich 1999; Iskandar & Colijn 2001).
Extinct in: Australia (Ashmore & Cartier Islands, Western Australia [Hibernia Reef])
Distribution: Australia (Northern Territory, Western Australia).


Aipysurus duboisi

Reef Shallows Sea Snake, (Dubois’ Sea Snake)

Westpazifische Riff-Seeschlange

Vestpacifisk Rev-havslange

1869 Aipysurus duboisi Bavay
1877 Aypysurus australis Sauvage (Golay & al. 1993)
1878 Pelagophis lubricus Peters & Doria (Golay & al. 1993)

Distribution: Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland [incl. Fraser Island], Western Australia), New Caledonia (incl. Grande Terre), Papua New Guinea (Eastern New Guinea).


Aipysurus eydouxii

White-spotted Sea Snake, Spine-tailed Sea Snake, Stagger-banded Sea Snake, Beaded Sea Snake, Marbled Sea Snake, (Eydoux's Sea Snake)

Weissfleckiger Seeschlange

Hvidplettet Havslange

1849 Tomogaster eydouxii Gray
Aipysurus eydouxii Boulenger 1896
1852 Thalassophis anguillaeformis Schmidt (Golay & al. 1993)
1852 Thalassophis muraeniformis Schmidt (Golay & al. 1993)
1858 Aipysurus margaritophorus Bleeker (Golay & al. 1993)

Remarks: Previously included the populations now known as mosaicus. Records from Australia and some from southern New Guinea refer to mosaicus, however, specimens of eydouxii have been recorded as fra east as Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The two species appear to be sympatric in New Guinea, but further studies are needed to clarify the extent of geographic contact (Sanders, Rasmussen, Elmberg, Mumpuni, Guinea, Blias, Lee & Fry 2012). Records from the Philippines (e.g., Boulenger 1896) are regarded as doubtful (Herre 1942; Sanders, Rasmussen, Elmberg, Mumpuni, Guinea, Blias, Lee & Fry 2012). Wallach, Williams & Boundy (2014) listed eydouxii for New Caledonia, apparently in error.
Distribution: Cambodia, Indonesia (Java, Kalimantan), Malaysia (Sabah, West Malaysia), Papua New Guinea (Eastern New Guinea), Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.



Aipysurus foliosquama

Leaf-scaled Sea Snake

Blattschuppige Seeschlange

Bladskællet Havslange

1926 Aipysurus foliosquama Smith

Remarks: Records from Java are regarded as doubtful (David & Ineich 1999; Iskandar & Colijn 2001).
Distribution: Australia (Ashmore & Cartier Islands).


Aipysurus fuscus

Dusky Sea Snake

Braune Seeschlange, Timor-Riffschlange

Brun Havslange

1837 Stephanohydra fusca Tschudi
Aipysurus fuscus Fischer 1856

Remarks: Records from Java, Sulawesi and New Guinea are regarded as doubtful (David & Ineich 1999; Iskandar & Colijn 2001).
Distribution: Australia (Ashmore & Cartier Islands).


Aipysurus laevis

Olive Sea Snake, Brown Sea Snake, Olive-Brown Sea Snake, Golden Sea Snake

Olivfarbige Seeschlange

Almindelig Oliven-havslange

1804 Aipysurus laevis Lacepede
Hydrus laevis Boie 1826
1846 Hydrus jukesii Gray (Golay & al. 1993)
Hypotropis jukesii Gray 1846
Aipysurus jukesii Wells & Wellington 1984
1854 Aipysurus fuliginosus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril (Golay & al. 1993)

Remarks: Previously included pooleorum (e.g., Smith 1974).
Distribution: Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland [incl. Fraser Island, Torres Strait Islands], Western Australia), Indonesia (Aru Islands, Kai Islands, New Caledonia (incl. Grande Terre, Loyalty Islands), Papua New Guinea (Eastern New Guinea).


Aipysurus laevis
© Rune Midtgaard

Aipysurus mosaicus

Mosaic Sea Snake, Mosaic-backed Sea Snake

Mosaik-Seeschlange

Mosaik-havslange

2012 Aipysurus mosaicus Sanders, Rasmussen, Elmberg, Mumpuni, Guinea, Blias, Lee & Fry

Remarks: Previously regarded as populations of eydouxii (Sanders, Rasmussen, Elmberg, Mumpuni, Guinea, Blias, Lee & Fry 2012).
Distribution: Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland [incl. Fraser Island, Torres Strait Islands], Western Australia), Indonesia (Western New Guinea).


Aipysurus pooleorum

Shark Bay Sea Snake

Shark-Bay-Seeschlange

Shark Bay-havslange

1974 Aipysurus laevis pooleorum Smith
Aipysurus pooleorum Wells & Wellington 1984

Remarks: Regarded as a subspecies of laevis by some authors (e.g., Cogger 1994; David & Ineich 1999), but as a separate species by others (e.g., Aplin & Smith 2001; Wilson & Swan 2010). First considered a separate species by Wells & Wellington (1984), but without discussion.
Distribution: Australia (Western Australia).


Aipysurus tenuis

Brown-lined Sea Snake, (Mjöberg's Sea Snake)

Braunstreifen-Seeschlange

Brunstribet Havslange

1913 Aipysurus tenuis Lönberg & Andersson

Distribution: Australia (Western Australia).