Taxon name
Hydrophis cyanocinctus
Daudin, 1803
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Hydrophis cyanocinctus
Daudin, 1803
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
Daudin, 1803
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
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.
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Data deficient
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
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.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
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.
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
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).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
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).
Threats and conservation measures listed
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.
Publication
Els, J., Allen, D., Hilton-Taylor, C., Harding, K. (2019). UAE National Red List of Herpetofauna: Amphibians & Terrestrial Reptiles, Sea Snakes & Marine Turtles. MOCCAE, UAE
