Acalyptophis peronii , commonly known as the spiny-headed sea snake,  Peron’s sea snake , or horned sea snake,  is a species of sea snake endemic to the western tropical Pacific Ocean.

It is the only sea snake with spines on its head. Like other members of the family Hydrophiidae or Elapidae,  it is poisonous.

 

The spiny-headed sea snake is a medium-sized snake, with the diameter of the neck only one-third to two-fifths the diameter of the thickest part of the body.

The head is small and the tail flattened laterally. The supraoculars are elevated and their free edges are pointed.

This species reaches a snout-vent length of just over a meter (39 in).

Dorsally, it is greyish, pale olive, or tan in color, with dark crossbands, which are narrower than the spaces between them and taper to a point on the sides of the belly.

 

Ventrally, it is uniformly whitish or with a series of dark crossbars alternating with spots.

– Geographic Range –
Acalyptophis peronii is found in the Gulf of Siam, Thailand, Vietnam , the South China Sea,  the coast of Guangdong, and the Taiwan Strait .

Philippines,  Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia , the Coral Sea Islands,  Papua New Guinea and Australia,

 

(Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia and possibly New South Wales).

– Habitat –
Prefers seas with sandy bottoms and coral reefs.

– Diet –
The diet includes small fish.

– Reproduction –
It is a viviparous species that produces up to 10 live young per female.