sea snake information requested -- Curacao

[drdba2]

My wife and I came across a sea snake in Curacao. The snake had a white body with dark colored rings (or bands). The snake was probably about 5 feet long and an inch or so in diameter. The snake was located on the bottom and seemed to be burrowing somewhat into the sand. The snake was just 40 feet from the water's edge. My wife and I swam over top of the snake and did not hang around to check it out.

Any information about the snake would be greatly appreciated.

 

[drrich2]

There are no sea snakes in the Caribbean. The usual mistaken identity culprit is the sharp tail eel. What you saw is much larger and the wrong color vs ste's I've seen. But you saw an eel.

 

[agilis]

There are no sea snakes native to the Caribbean. What most people mistake for a sea snake in the Caribbean is a snake eel, usually the Gold Spotted Snake Eel, Myrichthys ocellatus.

There are quite a few non-native species in the Caribbean, most infamously the Lionfish, which have spread from Florida. Most of these invasive species are the result of irresponsible releases by aquarists, and are almost exclusively species kept in the aquarium trade. Sea snakes, highly venomous, are not imported, so it is highly unlikely that they would be found in the Caribbean. I have never heard of a verified sighting.

 

[tursiops]

Even in the Pacific, where sea snakes are actually found, snake eels can confuse an ID.
Was That a Sea Snake? | Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)

 

[diver 85]

Like someone else said, no seasnakes in Caribbean-------unless someone had one hop out their aquarium......

You sure you didn't see this??--video of hogfish & eel 'hunting' together:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/80825593@N08/9716485825/in/set-72157635343681418

[/URL]Sharptail eel by GEAUXtiger, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[vincent54]

Since the OP mentioned the banding pattern, it sounds like it could even be a Tiger tail sea cucumber, They can reach up to 5 feet in length and live in the sandy areas around reefs throughout the Caribbean. I saw one on Brac move and dive in the sand quite rapidly, here is my pic before it disappeared. It was about 2 feet long and the banding was more dramatic when it stretched out.

 

[agilis]

The Gold Spotted Snake Eel's spots are large and symmetrical. When it is swimming in its usual sinuous way the spots can easily give the impression of bands on a whitish background. The color and pattern of these fish are fairly variable, with both size and geographic differences. Five feet long is an extremely large specimen, and I suspect that if an actual measurement were taken it might be smaller than it appeared to what I think were surface snorkelers.

 

[drrich2]

I didn't even think of the tiger tail sea cucumber; I've seen them before, and the visible part can be quite long (not sure I've ever seen the entire length of one).

The sharptail (e.g.: gold spotted snake) eel looks a lot like a snake in action. Green, spotted & goldentail moray eels all have a vaguely snake-like body form, but don't tend to lay flat on the bottom, and when they move often look like they're swimming a bit. Granted, I've seen spotted morays 'crawl' a bit. But a gold spotted eel lays flat on the bottom, crawls right on the bottom, and displays extreme flexibility. The overall movement/look is very like a land-snake crawling on the ground.

The sea cucumber, on the other hand, well...'movement' isn't really their thing. I saw one move a little, once; and was a bit surprised!

Richard.

 

[agilis]

Gold Spotted Snake Eels and their relatives also do a lot of very active digging and burrowing in soft sand, searching for the shrimp, small crabs and other sand dwellers that comprise most of their diet. They have sensitive barbel type feelers near their mouths that guide them to their prey. They move very much like snakes, more so than other eels. They've fooled many a casual observer.

 

[Diver OnLu]

Hi,

Did it look like this?

http://reefguide.org/pix/thumb2/goldspottedeel5.jpg

That's a Goldspotted Eel.

All the best from Curaçao,
Andreas