Spectacled Sea Snake

The spectacled sea snake is a fully marine elapid found across warm coastal waters from the Persian Gulf through South and Southeast Asia. It is named for the distinctive pale ring encircling each eye, reminiscent of spectacles.

As a member of the highly diverse Hydrophis genus, it shares the fully aquatic lifestyle, paddle tail, and neurotoxic venom typical of true sea snakes, spending its entire life in the water and rarely if ever coming ashore.

• Slender body with a moderately small head
• Pale grey to yellowish-olive ground color with dark grey-black bands encircling the body
• Bands are typically wider on the back and taper toward the belly
• Distinctive pale ring or "spectacle" marking around each eye, giving the species its common name
• Smooth, overlapping body scales
• Laterally flattened, paddle-shaped tail for swimming
• Adults reach approximately 0.8-1.2 m in length

Inhabits shallow coastal waters, bays, and estuaries over sandy or muddy substrates, typically at depths less than 30 m. Distribution spans the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, coastal India, and parts of Southeast Asia. Often found near river mouths and in areas with high productivity that support abundant small fish prey.

Active both day and night, though often more visible during crepuscular hours. Feeds primarily on small fish, using chemosensory and visual cues to locate prey in murky coastal water before delivering a venomous bite. Reproduction is ovoviviparous, with females bearing live young at sea in small litters.