Hydrophis stokesii (Gray, 1846)

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P., 2023, Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution, Zootaxa 5287 (1), pp. 1-378 : 197-198

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5287.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:78E23714-8973-4755-BC94-0A751D7D2B37

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7968016

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/88502B73-FF5E-B8B3-FF6B-43E27D580C89

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Hydrophis stokesii (Gray, 1846)
status

 

Hydrophis stokesii (Gray, 1846) View in CoL — Native.

Hydrus Stokesii Gray, 1846: 502 , pl. 3. Holotype: BMNH 1946.1 .17.12 (formerly BM III.9.1.d), by original designation. Type locality: “Australian Seas”.

Stokes’ Sea Snake

( Figures 23A & 23B View FIGURE 23 )

Singapore records.

Hydrus annulatus View in CoL — Gray, 1849: 59.— Knight, 1867: 155.

Hydrophis stokesii View in CoL — Ģnther, 1864: 363.— Davison, 1892: 93.— Boulenger, 1912: 183.—Hanitsch, 1913: 17.—Sworder, 1923: 68.— Bogert, 1966: 4.

Hydrophis stokesi — Dennys, 1880a: 3.— Blanford, 1881: 216.— de Rooij, 1917: 239.

Distira stokesii — Boulenger, 1896: 289.— Flower, 1896: 892.— Hanitsch, 1898: 20.— Flower, 1899: 687.— Ridley, 1899: 209.—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 265.

Astrotia stokesii — Smith, 1926: 113.— Smith, 1943: 472.— de Haas, 1950: 596.—Taylor, 1965: 996.— K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 55.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 149.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.— Iskandar & Colijn, 2001: 130.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 149.— Khan, 2003: 19.—Sharma, 2007: 335.— Das, 2010: 318.—Wallach et al., 2014: 60.

Astrotia stokesi — Ahmed, 1975: 81.

Astrotia ” —P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 302.

Remarks. When Gray (1849) first reported H. stokesii from Singapore, he described it as a new species, Hydrus annulatus ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ). Ģnther (1864) later synonymised it with H. stokesii and expressed doubt if H. stokesii even occurred in the Chinese seas or Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). However, Blanford (1881) examined two specimens at the Raffles Museum that were collected in Singapore ( Dennys 1880a), and Boulenger (1896) listed an additional specimen at NHMUK from Singapore formerly belonging to the Haslar collection. Davison (1892) expressed that H. stokesii is the most common sea snake around Singapore, and that the Raffles Museum possesses numerous specimens collected in fishermen’s nets. Yet, there are no specimens of H. stokesii from Singapore at LKCNHM. The LKCNHM does have eight specimens collected at unknown dates, but they were obtained off Singapore ( Fig. 23A View FIGURE 23 ). Besides the two specimens at NHMUK from Boulenger (1896), there are only seven additional museum specimens, and three were collected by Voris and Jeffries in 1980 and 1981. Smith (1926) examined the two specimens at NHMUK and also USNM 26567, which was collected in June 1899. Afterwards, there are no additional records of H. stokesii from Singapore.

Occurrence. Known from a few specimens predating 1881. Rare.

Singapore conservation status. Not Evaluated.

Conservation priority. Highest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2018].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH 1855.10 .16.284 (no date) , BMNH 1946.1 .19.74 (no date) [holotype of Hydrus annulatus ] .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): AMNH, CAS, FMNH, RMNH, USNM, ZMH.

Singapore localities. No published localities.

Genus Laticauda Laurenti, 1768 (1 species)

Laticauda Laurenti, 1768: 109 (type species: Laticauda scutata Laurenti, 1768 [= Coluber laticaudus Linnaeus, 1758 ], by subsequent designation by Stejneger, 1936: 141; gender feminine).

NHMUK

Natural History Museum, London

AMNH

American Museum of Natural History

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Reptilia

Order

Squamata

Family

Elapidae

Genus

Hydrophis

Loc

Hydrophis stokesii (Gray, 1846)

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P. 2023
2023
Loc

Astrotia stokesi

Ahmed, S. 1975: 81
1975
Loc

Astrotia stokesii

Das, I. 2010: 318
Khan, M. S. 2003: 19
Lim, K. P. & Lim, F. L. K. 2002: 149
Iskandar, D. T. & Colijn, E. 2001: 130
Chou L. M. & Ng, P. K. L. & Lim, K. K. P. 1994: 105
Lim, K. K. P. & Lim, F. L. K. 1992: 149
de Haas, C. P. J. 1950: 596
1950
Loc

Distira stokesii

Flower, S. S. 1899: 687
Hanitsch, R. 1898: 20
Boulenger, G. A. 1896: 289
Flower, S. S. 1896: 892
1896
Loc

Hydrophis stokesi

de Rooij, N. 1917: 239
Blanford, W. T. 1881: 216
Dennys, N. B. 1880: 3
1880
Loc

Hydrophis stokesii

Bogert, C. M. 1966: 4
Boulenger, G. A. 1912: 183
Davison, W. 1892: 93
Gnther, A. C. L. G. 1864: 363
1864
Loc

Hydrus annulatus

Knight, C. 1867: 155
Gray, J. E. 1849: 59
1849
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