title: Sea snakes (Elapidae, Hydrophiinae) in their westernmost extent: an updated and illustrated checklist and key to the species in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
abstract: The Persian Gulf is known as the westernmost distribution limit for sea snakes, except forHydrophis platurus(Linnaeus, 1766) that reaches southeastern Africa. Previous identification guides for sea snakes of the Persian Gulf and its adjacent waters in the Gulf of Oman were based on old data and confined mostly to written descriptions. Therefore, a series of field surveys were carried out in 2013 and 2014 through Iranian coastal waters of both gulfs to provide a comprehensive sampling of sea snakes in the area. This paper presents an illustrated and updated checklist and identification tool for sea snakes in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, which are based on new material and a review of the literature. This checklist includes ten species of marine hydrophiines, of which one,Microcephalophis cantoris(Günther, 1864), is a new record for the area. All specimens examined herein are deposited and available at the Zoological Museum of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman province, Iran.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Management Office, Qeshm Free Area Organization, Qeshm Island, P. O. Box 7951614465, Hormozgan Province, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezaie-Atagholipour
authors.affiliation: Department of Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Parviz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ghezellou
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman Province, Iran.
authors.forename: Majid Askari
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hesni
authors.affiliation: Environmental Management Office, Qeshm Free Area Organization, Qeshm Island, P. O. Box 7951614465, Hormozgan Province, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyyed Mohammad Hashem
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Dakhteh
authors.affiliation: Green Reef Group, Qeshm Island, Hormozgan Province, Iran.
authors.forename: Hooman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ahmadian
authors.affiliation: ISYEB, UMR7205 MNHN-CNRS-UPMC-EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Département Systématique et Evolution, CP30 25 rue Cuvier 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vidal
keywords: Indian Ocean; Serpentes; new record; reptiles; venomous; viviparous