Sea Snake

Sea snakes, or coral reef snakes, are a subfamily of elapid snakes, the Hydrophiinae,[clarification needed] that inhabit marine environments for most or all of their lives. Most are venomous, except the genus Emydocephalus, which feeds almost exclusively on fish eggs.[2] Sea snakes are extensively adapted to a fully aquatic life and are unable to move on land, except for the genus Laticauda, which has limited land movement.[clarification needed] They are found in warm coastal waters from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific and are closely related to venomous terrestrial snakes in Australia.[3] All sea snakes have paddle-like tails and many have laterally compressed bodies that give them an eel-like appearance. Unlike fish, they do not have gills and must surface regularly to breathe. Along with whales, they are among the most completely aquatic of all air-breathing vertebrates.[4] Among this group are species with some of the most potent venoms of all snakes. Some have gentle dispositions and bite only when provoked, while others are much more aggressive. Currently, 17 genera are described as sea snakes, comprising 69 species.[5][6]