Redescriptions of the type specimens of synonymous nominal taxa of sea snakes (Serpentes: Elapidae: Hydrophis, Laticauda) at the Zoological Survey of India

摘要

We redescribe and illustrate the type specimens of ten taxa of sea snakes of the genera Hydrophis Latreille in Sonnini & Latreille, 1801 and Laticauda Laurenti, 1768 in the collections of the Zoological Survey of India. The specimens comprise holotypes and syntypes of ten synonymous nominal taxa that represent seven valid nominal taxa. We here clarify that one specimen ZSI 8278 is a syntype of Hydrophis dayanus Stoliczka, 1872, not holotype as previously stated. In one case, four holotypes of four nominal taxa are synonyms of the same taxon-Hydrophis cyanocinctus Daudin, 1803. Many of these type specimens are herein first depicted in photographs in a publication.