Praescutata viperina (Schmidt, 1852)
Viperine Sea Snake 海蝰
(Highly venomous)
Praescutata viperina
Order
Suborder		 Squamata 有鱗目
Serpentes 蛇亞目
Family Elapidae 眼鏡蛇科
Genus Praescutata 海蝰屬
Species Praescutata viperina
Other name -
Chinese name 黑尾海蛇
Total length Around 91 cm or more.
Description General body colour grey, with distinct blotches forming a zig-zag line down the body.
Blotching resembles that of the European Vipera species, hence its specific name.
Body stocky. Head large. Nostrils open on top of snout. Two short rigid fangs in upper jaw.
Tail laterally compressed and paddle-shaped as in all sea snakes.
Dorsal scales tuberculate. Ventral scales greatly reduced in size.
Has a potent venom and has caused death.
Habitat

Another Hong Kong sea snakes probably inhabit open waters, but usually close to shore.
Behaviour Local habits unknown.
Diet Is reported to feed on eels and other fish.
Reproduction Viviparous, which like most sea snakes gives birth to living young at sea.
Distribution Represented in Hong Kong by a single specimen which was purchased in a local market in 1965,
caught by a Hong Kong fisherman 150 km southwest of Hong Kong. Its range in Hong Kong waters is unknown.
Ranges from Persian Gulf to the coast of Malay Peninsula, the South China Sea to Fujian, and south to Indonesia.
Conservation Status IUCN Redlist: NE (Not Evaluated)
More images on Google