Oh, Australia, how we love you and your variety of venomous snakes. While diving off the coast of Queensland, local Beau Greaves happened upon an underwater face-off for the books: hungry sea snake vs. fish dinner.


While some reports suggest the unlucky meal is a stonefish, it's more likely a frogfish in the genus Batrachomoeus. This wouldn't be the first time we've seen the pairing, just last year fisherman Rick Trippe stumbled across a similar showdown in Aussie waters. 

Though they're sometimes called "stonefishes," Batrachomoeus frogfish do not posses potent venom like true stonefish. This makes them a more likely target for the sea snakes in the region. 

Adults of most sea snake species grow to between 120-150 cm (4-5 ft) in length, but the largest, the yellow sea snake (Hydrophis spiralis) can reach an impressive three metres! 

Despite having some seriously potent venom, sea snakes are generally considered non-aggressive. Still, as with any predator, it's best to keep your distance should you encounter one. The snake in the video appears to be a Stoke's sea snake (Astrotia stokesii), a species that is known to forage around rocky reefs and is commonly hauled up by trawl fishermen in the area. But if any experts have additional information, let us know in the comments below!

__

Top header image: Mika Hiltunen/Flickr