General information about sea snakes; behavior, habitats, and methods of defense. Sea snakes are air breathers probably descended from a family of Australian land snakes. They inhabit the tropical waters of the IndoPacific and are highly venomous. Thirtytwo species have been identified in the waters about the Barrier Reef in Australia. They seem to congregate in certain areas in the region about the swain Reefs and the Keppel Islands, where the olive sea snake Aipysurus laevis is a familiar sight. Sea snakes have specialized flattened tails for swimming and have valves over their nostrils which are closed underwater. They differ from eels in that they dont have gill slits and have scales. Due to their need to breathe air, they are usually found in shallow water where they swim about the bottom feeding on fish, fish eggs and eels.

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