基于鳞片计数对中国海域海蛇分类的初步研究

The Preliminary Study of Sea Snakes'Classification Based on Scale Counting Method in China's Sea Area

我国目前对海蛇的分类与国际分类存在一定的差异,该研究旨在为我国海域内的海蛇分类提出建议。以爬行动物形态学上的经典分类方法鳞片计数法为重点,包括背鳞、腹鳞、尾下麟的数据,比较其平均数、标准差和差异系数等,并结合生物地理资料,综合讨论我国真海蛇属中的8种海蛇的分类。结果显示,各物种间雌性个体统计分析差异相对显著,而雄性个体的差异相对不显著;但所有个体的差异依然显著。腹鳞的差异相对背鳞和尾下麟更为显著,海蝰与其它物种的差异也更显著。因此得出结论,各种海蛇在总体上分类较为清晰,但不建议划分多个属,建议都归为一个“真海蛇属Hydrophis”,与国际上的分类一致;青环海蛇与黑头海蛇虽亲缘相似,但仍为2个物种。

There are certain differences about sea snakes between the classification current in China and the international classification.The purpose of this study is to make suggestions for the classification of sea snakes in China's sea areas.Focusing on scale counting,as a lassical classification methods for reptile morphology,including the data of dorsal scale,ventral scale,and subcaudal,the author has compared the mean,standard deviation,and coecient of difference.Besides,the author has combined morphological data with information materials of biogeography to comprehensively discuss the classification of 8 species of sea snakes in China.The result has showed that,the statistical analysis differences among female individuals among various species were relatively significant,while the differences among male individuals were relatively insignificant;However,the differences among all individuals are still significant.The difference among the ventral scales is more significant than that among the dorsal scales and the caudal scales,and the Praescutata viperina is also more significant from other species.Therefore,it is concluded that the classification of various sea snakes is relatively clear on the whole,but it is not recommended to divide them into multiple genera,and it is suggested that the all 8 species should be classified into one genus“Hydrophis”.Although H.nigrocinctus is close to H.melanocephalus,they could still be considered as two species.