'Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi'
Abstract
Sea snakes play an important role in the marine
food web and studies on their diversity and
distribution are very limited in India. Globally, 70
species of sea snakes have been reported under the
family Elapidae which is divided into two subfamilies
(i) Laticaudinae and (ii) Hydrophiinae. Sea snakes
belonging to the subfamily Hydrophiinae are
considered as ‘true sea snakes’ with 62 species
which are viviparous (give birth to live young at
sea). Laticaudinae sea snakes called the ‘sea kraits’
have 8 species and are oviparous. They come to the
land for mating and to lay eggs
