eISSN: 1800-427X (online)
DOI:10.47605/tapro.v14i1.356Submitted date: 9 December 2024
Accepted date: 21 April 2025
Published date: 31 May 2025
Pp. 75–76.
Sparks beneath the sea? First record of a lined colour morph in the sea snakesM.H. Patel & D.S. Parmar
*Corresponding author. E-mail: ophiophagus_hannah10@yahoo.com
A recent study by Parmar & Kaiser (2024) linked unusual morphs in Russell’s Vipers and Wolfsnakes to the spark/spark genotype mutation. We report a similar aberrant pattern for the first time in a sea snake observed in India (Bharuch District, Gujarat). During a marine reptile survey on January 26, 2019, near Aliabet, Bharuch District, in the Gulf of Khambhat (21.5958°N, 72.4408°E), fishermen caught 24 Annulated Sea Snakes (
Hydrophis cyanocinctus) and one Little Filesnake (
Acrochordus granulatus). One sea snake had an unusual pattern, differing from all other sea snakes. This individual measured 1030 mm in SVL with a tail length of 110 mm.
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