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# Predation by a Yellow-lipped Sea Krait, Laticauda colubrina (Schneider 1799), on a Moray Eel (Gymnothorax sp.) at Balayan Bay, Philippines

Arnel Sevilla, Przemyslaw Zdunek

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## To cite this version:

Arnel Sevilla, Przemyslaw Zdunek. Predation by a Yellow-lipped Sea Krait, Laticauda colubrina (Schneider 1799), on a Moray Eel (Gymnothorax sp.) at Balayan Bay, Philippines. Southeast Asia Vertebrate Records, 2023, 2023, pp.013-014. hal-04693555

HAL Id: hal-04693555

https://hal.science/hal-04693555v1

Submitted on 17 Sep 2024

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# Predation by a Yellow-lipped Sea Krait, *Laticauda colubrina* (Schneider 1799), on a Moray Eel (*Gymnothorax* sp.) at Balayan Bay, Philippines

Arnel SEVILLA & Przemysław ZDUNEK

arnel@portulano.com (Sevilla), zdunek.komodo@gmail.com (Zdunek)

**Observer:** Arnel Sevilla.

**Photographs by:** Arnel Sevilla.

**Subjects identified by:** Przemysław Zdunek.

**Location:** Balayan Bay, Batangas, Luzon Island, Philippines (13.82017°N, 120.90144°E; WGS 84).

**Elevation:** Approx. 15 metres below sea level.

**Habitat:** Dominated by soft and fan corals.

**Date and time:** 08 January 2023, around noon.

**Identity of subjects:**

(i) Yellow-lipped Sea Krait, *Laticauda colubrina* (Reptilia: Squamata: Elapidae)

(ii) Moray Eel, *Gymnothorax* sp. (Actinopterygii: Anguilliformes: Muraenidae).

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>Fig. 1. *Gymnothorax* sp. spotted and being engulfed by an adult *Laticauda colubrina*.</figcaption></figure>

© Arnel Sevilla
**Description of record:**

During a dive tour at The Pinnacle dive site, Balayan Bay, an adult (estimated total length ~120cm) Yellow-lipped Sea Krait (Laticauda colubrina) was observed foraging in crevices at a depth of about 15 meters. The water temperature was 26°C with a strong current. After a while, the snake noticed an eel's head (Gymnothorax sp.) protruding from a crevice. The snake bit its prey, holding it by its head until it stopped struggling (Fig. 1). Due to the strong current, the act of swallowing the prey was not photographed.

**Remarks:**

The banded patterning, and distinctive yellow upper lip and snout clearly identify this snake as the Yellow-lipped Sea Krait (Laticauda colubrina, Schneider 1799) (Das 2021). The eel is identified as a moray eel of the genus Gymnothorax based on location, jaw shape, eye color, and general coloration (Allen et al. 2015).

Laticauda colubrina is a widely distributed, semi-aquatic venomous snake (Das 2021). It has an eel-specialist diet, although they are known to also prey upon other small fish species (Tan et al. 2017). Observations of this type are known from other areas of occurrence of this species (Heatwole et al. 2005; Bonnet et al. 2010) by examining the contents of the stomach (Herre 1942). Shetty and Shine (2002) documented some sexual divergence in terms of dietary habits with females, which are larger, primarily preying upon conger eels (Conger spp.), and males, which are smaller, on moray eels (Gymnothorax spp.).

To the best of our knowledge, ours is the first documented direct observation of predation by *L. colubrina* on *Gymnothorax* sp. at Balayan Bay, Philippines (Herre and Rabor, 1949). Even as a single event, this record broadens the scope of information about the natural history and ecology of sea kraits and their prey.

**References:**

Allen, G., Steene, R., Humann, P., DeLoach, N. (2015). Reef fish identification: Tropical Pacific. 2nd edition. New World Publications, Jacksonville, Florida, USA. 502 pp.

Bonnet, X., Brischoux, F., Lang, R. (2010). Highly venomous sea kraits must fight to get their prey. Coral Reefs 29: 379.

Das, I. (2021). Snakes of Southeast Asia. 3rd edition. John Beaufoy Publishing, Oxford. 176 pp.

Heatwole, H., Busack, S., Cogger, H. (2005). Geographic variation in sea kraits of the *Laticauda colubrina* complex (Serpentes: Elapidae: Hydrophiinae: Laticaudini). Herpetological Monographs 19(1): 1–136.

Herre, A.W.C.T. (1942). Notes on Philippine Sea-Snakes. Copeia 1: 7-9.

Herre, A.W.C.T. & Rabor, D.S. (1949). Notes on Philippine Sea Snakes of the Genus *Laticauda*. Copeia 4: 282-284

Shetty, S., & Shine, R. (2002). Sexual divergence in diets and morphology in Fijian sea snakes *Laticauda colubrina* (Laticaudinae). Austral Ecology 27(1): 77-84.

Tan, C.H., Wong, K.Y., Tan, K.Y., Tan, N.H. (2017). Venom proteome of the yellow-lipped sea krait, *Laticauda colubrina* from Bali: Insights into subvenomic diversity, venom antigenicity and cross-neutralization by antivenom. Journal of Proteomics 166: 48–58.