Hydrophis cyanocinctus | UAE National Red List of Herpetofauna: Amphibians & Terrestrial Reptiles, Sea Snakes & Marine Turtles

Taxa
Hydrophis cyanocinctus | Daudin, 1803
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Vertebrates
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Reptiles
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxonomic Notes
In the Australian region, most people call this species H. pacificus and they may be the same species (A. Rasmussen pers. comm. 2008). Sometimes treated under the genus Leioselasma.
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This species is confirmed from United Arab Emirates waters (Soorae et al. 2006, Egan 2007, Gardner 2013, Buzás et al. 2018), where it is found in the Arabian Gulf (stranding records only, including the Dubai coast) and shallow waters in the Gulf of Oman (Buzás et al. 2018). The species appears less common than other sea snakes along the east coast, found up to 7.2 km from the shore (Géczy et al. 2017, Buzás et al. 2018). Recent museum specimens for the UAE are available in the Al Mayya Sanctuary, Fujairah). The first museum specimen in the region was collected from Das Island (Arabian Gulf, UAE) by M.B. Bailey in 1963 (Gasperetii 1988). Museum specimens from Muscat, Oman (Boulenger 1887), Arabian Gulf and Iran (Gasperetti 1988). Globally, this species is found in the Arabian Gulf east to Indonesia, the Philippines, and China, with the range extending south to northern Australia and Papua New Guinea (Culotta and Pickwell 1993); the species is also possibly present in Japan (Rasmussen et al. 2010).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
In the UAE, this species is found up to 6-7 km off the east coast, at depths of up to 50 m, where the bottom is sandy (Géczy et al. 2017, Buzás et al. 2018). The habitat requirements in the UAE require further research. In the Arabian Gulf, there have been significant declines in suitable habitats (seagrass, coral reefs etc), but specific utilisation of these habitats is uncertain. In the Arabian Gulf, strandings increase when the weather is colder, and with rough seas. The species is recorded all year round on the east coast (Buzás et al. 2018).Globally, this species can be found in shallow seas over muddy bottoms (Stuebing and Voris 1989). It feeds mostly on eels (Voris and Voris 1983, Das 2007), but also gobies and marine invertebrates (Das 2007).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Data deficient
Assessment status abreviation
DD
Assessment rationale/justification
Within UAE waters, this species is not well known and is less common than some other sea snake species. In the Arabian Gulf, it is only known from coastal strandings. On the east coast, it is known from more records, mostly from south of Fujairah city, but is less common than some other sea snake species. Nothing is known of the population size or trend, and further research is required. The species is considered Data Deficient for the UAE at present because the available data are inadequate to assign the species to either Least Concern or a threatened category, and research into this and other sea snakes should be a priority.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2018
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1 + Regional Guidelines v4.0
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
As with all sea snakes, this species is vulnerable to indirect threats from habitat loss and climate change throughout its range. The impact of oil spills and other marine pollution requires further study. They have the potential for entanglement in marine litter and abandoned fish traps (garghoor). Coastal development and reclamation may impact coastal habitats such as mangrove areas.Globally this species is commonly caught as bycatch by trawlers in many parts of its range. Mangrove habitats are likely to be impacted by urban development and other threats.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Hydrophis cyanocinctus Animalia Chordata Reptilia Squamata Elapidae Hydrophis