About Hydrophis elegans (Gray, 1842)
Hydrophis elegans, commonly known as the elegant sea snake, is a highly venomous sea snake species belonging to the family Elapidae. This species occurs off the coasts of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland. The elegant sea snake is a medium-sized, slender reptile that typically grows to 2 meters (6.6 feet) in length; an exceptional individual measuring 2.6 meters (8.5 feet) was recorded in 2008. Like many other sea snakes, it has a laterally compressed tail that helps with swimming. Its body can have up to 44 dorsal bands ranging from grayish-black to black, which extend along its full body length. It has large head scales, and like many other sea snakes, it possesses nostril valves that keep water from entering its lungs during dives. Its body scales are overlapping (imbricate), arranged in 37 to 49 rows at mid-body. Its ventral scales are usually undivided, are roughly as wide as or slightly wider than adjacent body scales, and number approximately 345 to 432 in total.
