Adaptations of sea snakes that eat fish eggs; with a note on the throat musculature ofAipysurus eydouxi(Gray, 1849)

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Abstract
Features of sea snakes (Emydocephalus and some Aipysurus) that specialize in eating fish eggs are reviewed. Additionally, an earlier account of the hyoid musculature of Aipysurus eydouxi is corrected. A new feeding mechanism, possibly unique in higher snakes, is postulated; fish eggs together with substantial quantities of sand appear to be sucked into the mouth by the contraction of a ‘geniomucosalis’ muscle which originates on the lower jaw and inserts on the oral mucosa. Other characters, which occur in two of the three egg-eating species, and which seem to correlate with this feeding habit, include: a spine on the snout (perhaps used for probing sand), strong consolidation of lip scales (likely to increase rigidity of the mouth border) and marked tooth reduction and loss (probably reflecting redundancy).