Venom effects and medical significance are different from toxicity rankings. Do not handle a snake on the basis of this summary.
The account records a marine habitat. Island names on the map identify reported coastal areas; they are not land occupancy or a boundary of the species’ marine range. Philippine occurrence is listed, with island-level detail still unresolved.
OccurrenceQuestionable
Islands named0
Natural history4 sourced topics
References3
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Coastal island outlines are geographic context, not a mapped marine range.
Reproduction
The species account records live-bearing reproduction, using the term ovoviviparous. A verified Philippine litter-size range and reproductive calendar are not established here.
Reproductive mode reported for this named species.
Mode alone does not establish litter or clutch size, seasonal timing, or captive husbandry requirements.
Ecology & habitat
The account records a marine habitat. Island names on the map identify reported coastal areas; they are not land occupancy or a boundary of the species’ marine range.
Species-level database summary; literature review, not expert validation.
The cited account does not establish population-wide variation or the conditions at every Philippine locality.
Taxonomic context
Hydrophis fasciatus is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Elapidae. The authority is (SCHNEIDER 1799). Earlier names and the original source notes are preserved below for comparison.
Literature documented · Checklist identity and nomenclatural trail
Checklist verified 2026-09-05; not a newly revised taxonomic backbone.
Historical names can cover different biological concepts; synonyms should not be used to transfer records automatically.
Across the archipelago
Where this species is recorded
PhilippinesN ↑
No island-level areas available
Blue outlines locate coastal records, not land occupancy or marine range boundaries.
Philippine distribution
Documented places
Philippine occurrence disputed. Philippine fasciatus records are reassigned to Hydrophis atriceps.
Geographic detail still needed
Conflicting or questioned records are retained in the sources, without colouring a confirmed range.
Distribution record & sources
Indian Ocean (coasts of Pakistan, India, Myanmar (= Burma), Thailand, Malaysia), Vietnam, Bangladesh
Arabian peninsula ?
Coasts of Indonesia (Sumatra, Java)
Coasts of Australia, Philippines, New Guinea
Coasts of Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian (China)
Type locality: None given (M. A. Smith (1926: 96) stated that the type of Hydrophis fasciatus was labelled "East Indies.”
Philippine fasciatus records are reassigned to Hydrophis atriceps.
Venomous · Effects not yet summarised in this atlas
Observe from a distance. Do not handle, corner or capture a snake to identify it. An incomplete venom account is not evidence that a species is safe to handle.
After a suspected snakebite, keep the person still and arrange urgent medical care. Avoid tight tourniquets, cutting, suction and unproven remedies. Do not wait to identify the snake before seeking help.
Distribution reviewed against cited source (pp. 459–460, remarks). Philippine fasciatus records are reassigned to Hydrophis atriceps.
Islands named
None explicitly extracted
Range noteCountry/island text is not a range polygon or locality record.
Source distribution statement
Indian Ocean (coasts of Pakistan, India, Myanmar (= Burma), Thailand, Malaysia), Vietnam, Bangladesh
Arabian peninsula ?
Coasts of Indonesia (Sumatra, Java)
Coasts of Australia, Philippines, New Guinea
Coasts of Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian (China)
Type locality: None given (M. A. Smith (1926: 96) stated that the type of Hydrophis fasciatus was labelled "East Indies.”
Knowledge coverage
EndemismResearch pending
EcologyLiterature documented
VenomVenomous Effects not yet summarised in this atlasDetailed research: Research pending
Venomous!
Synonymy partly after STEJNEGER 1907. Not listed by COGGER 2000.
Type species: Hydrus fasciatus SCHNEIDER 1799 is the type species of the genus Hydrophis LATREILLE in SONNINI & LATREILLE 1801.
Distribution: not on Borneo fide Stuebing et al. 2014. Reports from the Arabian peninsula (e.g. Corkill & Cochrane 1966) are doubtful; neither IUCN nor GBIF (June 2023) have any records from there.
Habitat: marine.
Character states: Voris 1977 provides a character matrix for 24 species of sea snakes and dozens of characters. Voris 1975 provides a table of ventral and caudal scale counts and vertebrae counts for 44 species of sea snakes. Smith 1920: 35 ff has tables of measurements and scale counts for many species.
Bibliography: Vigle 1978 provides a bibliography of sea snakes.
References attached to this record
2026
The Reptile Database — species checklist, 17 June 2026
Hydrophis fasciatus — The Reptile Database species account
Uetz, P.; Hallermann, J. et al. (editors)
Public species fields consulted for bounded biological summaries. Primary sources quoted within the database were not independently examined unless explicitly stated. The catalogue name may differ from the current source title.