
%0 Journal Article
%A Ward, T. M. 
%T Age structures and reproductive patterns of two species of sea snake, <emph type="2">Lapemis hardwickii</emph> Grey (1836) and <emph type="2">Hydrophis elegans</emph> (Grey 1842), incidentally captured by prawn trawlers in northern Australia
%J Marine and Freshwater Research
%D 2001/03/16
%V 52
%N 2
%P 193-203
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/MF00025
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MF00025 
%X Lapemis hardwickiiand Hydrophis elegans caught by prawn trawlers reach at least 6.7 and 8.9 years of age respectively.Most L.hardwickii sampled were 2&#8212;4 years of age,and most H.elegans were 3&#8212;5 years of age. Female L.hardwickii and H.elegans appear to reach sexual maturity after 2 years and minimum snout&#8212;vent lengths of approximately 76 and 120 cm respectively.The reproductive cycles of L.hardwickii and H.elegans are similar:mating occurs between early May and the end of July;ovulation during August &#8212;September;and gestation during September&#8212;December and September&#8212;February respectively.L.hardwickii and H.elegans produce approximately 8.5 and 12.7 offspring per clutch respectively.However,female L.hardwickii breed annually whereas female H.elegans only breed every 2&#8212;3 years.The mean annual reproductive outputs of L. hardwickii (8.4 offspring per year)and H.elegans (7.5)are thus similar. Sea snakes appear to be less fecund and more susceptible to trawler-induced effects than most by-catch taxa,and should be a focus of future strategies to ameliorate the ecological effects of prawn trawling in northern Australia. 
