Hydrophis laboutei

Hydrophis laboutei, also known commonly as Laboute's sea snake, is a species of venomous sea snake in the subfamily Hydrophiinae of the family Elapidae. The species is native to New Caledonia.

Hydrophis laboutei
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Hydrophis
Species:	H. laboutei
Binomial name
Hydrophis laboutei Rasmussen & Ineich, 2000
Synonyms
Chitulia laboutei (Rasmussen & Ineich, 2000)

Etymology

The specific epithet, laboutei, honours Pierre Laboute, a French researcher at the IRD station in Nouméa, who collected the holotype.^[2][3]

Description

H. laboutei has 44–46 rows of dorsal scales at midbody, and it has 186–187 vertebrae.^[2]

Geographic range

H. laboutei is found in the marine waters of New Caledonia. The type locality is the Chesterfield Islands in the Coral Sea.^[2]

Habitat

Other than being marine, the precise habitat of H. laboutei is unknown. The holotype was collected with a trawl at a depth of 62 m (203 ft).^[1]

Reproduction

H. laboutei is ovoviviparous.^[2]