Hydrophis obscurus Daudin, 1803

Rasmussen, Arne Redsted, Sanders, Kate Laura, Guinea, Michael L. & Amey, Andrew P., 2014, Sea snakes in Australian waters (Serpentes: subfamilies Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae) - a review with an updated identification key, Zootaxa 3869 (4), pp. 351-371 : 355

Hydrophis obscurus Daudin, 1803 / Hydrophis vorisi Kharin, 1984 .

McDowell (1972) mentioned Hydrophis obscurus for the first time in the Australian region based on a single specimen from the east bank of the Fly River opposite Sturt Island, Papua New Guinea. Cogger (1975), Minton (1975) and Cogger et al. (1983) followed McDowell (1972) in recognising H. obscurus from Australia. However, Kharin (1984b) later described a new species, H. vorisi , based on McDowell’s description of the Fly River specimen and referred a second specimen (MCZ 141979) from the same area to this new species. Both specimens of H. vorisi are thus recorded from the southern coast of New Guinea ( Kharin, 1984b, 2004b) excluding the species from Australian waters. However, we include the species in the possible Australian species list because, given this species’ occurrence on the south coast of New Guinea, it may be found in Australian waters in future.

Concerning H. obscurus , we have found no evidence or specimens to support its occurring in the Australian region. We therefore regard H. obscurus as an Asian endemic known only from the east coast of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar ( David & Ineich, 1999; M. A. Smith, 1926).