Nothophryne unilurio, Conradie & Bittencourt-Silva & Bittencourt-Silva & Farooq & Loader & and & Tolley, 2018

Conradie, Werner, Bittencourt-Silva, Gabriela B., Bittencourt-Silva, Farooq, Harith M., Loader, Simon P., and, Michele Menegon & Tolley, Krystal A., 2018, New species of Mongrel Frogs (Pyxicephalidae: Nothophryne) for northern Mozambique inselbergs, African Journal of Herpetology 67 (1), pp. 61-85 : 80-82

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2017.1376714
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D8B56C-FFA1-FFED-FF4D-7AFE4970FB8B
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Nothophryne unilurio
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Nothophryne unilurio View in CoL sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C0667E79-6887-463F-A2FB-8FD33E89BC8A

Quirimbas Mongrel Frog; Quirimbas Mountain Frog ( Figs 9A–D View Figure 9 , 6D View Figure 6 )

Holotype — PEM A12114 View Materials , adult male, collected from Taratibu Hills (12.82178° S, 39.68658° E, 475 m asl), Mozambique by H. M. Farooq on 20 December 2014. GoogleMaps

Paratype — PEM A12115 View Materials , adult male. Same collection details as holotype .

Diagnosis — Nothophryne unilurio sp. nov. can be distinguished from other Nothophryne by the following: absence of a median lingual process on the dorsal surface of the tongue ( N. broadleyi – up to 1.0 mm long; N. baylissi sp. nov. – up to 0.5 mm long; N. inagoensis sp. nov. – up to 0.2 mm long; N. ribauensis sp. nov. – a marginally elevated tubercle) ( Fig. 2E View Figure 2 ), tympanum clearly visible (obscured in N. baylissi sp. nov. The sequences of Nothophryne unilurio sp. nov. differ from the other species of Nothophryne by 6–7% (16S p-distance) and 4–5% (RAG1 p-distance). This species is allopatric with all other Nothophryne species.

Etymology —Named after Lúrio University, Pemba, Mozambique where Harith Farooq is Director of the Natural Sciences Faculty. The composition comprise out of uni for University and lurio for Lúrio.

Description of holotype —Small to medium size frog, SUL 17.3 mm. Body is slender, dorsolateral flattened, widest at armpits. Head broad (HW/SUL 0.40), rounded from above in profile, head length is moderate to short (HL/SUL 0.31). Canthus rostralis rounded, straight from eye to nostril, loreal region slightly sloped outwards towards nostrils. Nostrils small, rounded, directed laterally, teardrop shaped angled downwards and backwards to eye, positioned midway between snout and the eye (EN/SL 0.52). Internarinal distance is larger than distance between eye and nostril (IND/EN 1.5). Eyes directed anterolaterally, the eyes protrude, and not visible from below, moderate in size (ED/HW 0.33; ED/HL 0.43), larger than the interorbatial distance (ED/IOD 1.28). Distance between anterior corners of eyes is equal to the internostril distance (IOD/IND 1.0). The angle of the jaw slopes slightly upwards posteriorly from snout to just behind eye level. Tympanum clearly visible, with inconspicuous glandular ridge above tympanum from eye to base of forearm. Jaws without maxillary and premaxillary teeth, lower jaw with small anterior vomerine odontophore with central projection; choanae small, round, located at anterior margins of the roof of the mouth; tongue very long (4.2 mm), narrower proximally than distally (∼ 1.7 mm), well bifurcated distally, first 50% attached to lower jaw, no narrow median lingual process present on the dorsal surface of the tongue.

The dorsal surfaces of the head, trunk and limbs are smooth, no raised glands and skin folds present; the rictal gland is smooth, but slightly elevated from angle of jaw to form a continued posteriorly ridge just before arm insertion, dorsum scattered with some white tipped asperities. Supratympanic fold inconspicuous; throat with no enlarge anterior or lateral scattered asperities. No gular pouch or flap present, a small slit on the inside of the mouth at the angle of the jaw gives access to the vocal sac. Ventrally smooth, upper jaw protruding over lower jaw, with very light mottled appearance, vocal sac dark with no white mottled appearance anteriorly, getting more mottled to about arm insertion ( Fig. 9D View Figure 9 ).

The forelimbs are stubby, hands small (HAL/SUL 0.20), fingertips bluntly rounded and slightly swollen. Relative finger lengths I <II <IV <III; subarticular tubercles distinct, rounded, with one on each finger, no proximal subarticular present. No webbing between fingers. Thenar tubercle small, rounded, partially obscured by nuptial pad that reaches the distal phalanx of the first finger; inner metacarpal tubercle absent, outer metacarpal tubercle inconspicuous, central metacarpal tubercle present. Small palmar tubercles present on the palm at the base of Fingers II, III and IV.

Hind limbs moderately long (TL/SUL 0.57; FL/SUL 0.51), feet nearly equal in length of tibia (TL/FL 1.1); thighs are moderately developed, with rough elevated glands on the inner posterior faces; relative toe lengths are I <II <III <V <IV. The toe tips are slightly expanded; subarticular tubercles: one on Toes I to III, two on Toes IV and V. No webbing between toes. Inner metatarsal tubercle conical and prominent, outer metatarsal tubercle absent.

Colour in life ( Fig. 9A View Figure 9 ) —The dorsum light brown with dark greenish raised glands covered with small white tipped asperities, scattered white spots, no lighter vertebral line present, a light triangle on snout. Venter is clear with slight black mottling and blotches. Nuptial pads prominent, but lighter than rest of fingers. Arms and legs are strongly cross-banded.

Colour in preservative —The dorsum brown with small white tipped asperities, light interorbital bar, dorsal lighter vertebral line absent, mid-dorsal light patch present, arms and legs lighter than dorsum. Venter immaculate white with no bold black pigmentation, throat finely and evenly black pigmentation up to anterior chest region above line with forearms. The inner thighs and anterior abdomen free of pigmented, forearms slightly pigmented. Palms of hand and soles of feet darkened pigmented than limbs.

Variation — Paratype male showed similar body proportions to the holotype described above ( Table 2; Supplementary Table 4). It further conforms to the holotype description, except for that the throat lighter pigmented with more prominent lighter blotching, tongue much shorted (∼ 2.1 mm), and palmar tubercles more prominent (two at the base of each finger compared to one in holotype).

Advertisement call —Unknown.

Natural History —Males call hidden from under rocks and moss near streams which is found on exposed rock surface. Freshly laid eggs and tadpoles were seen on a tiny film of water flowing over rock surface ( Fig. 6C View Figure 6 ).

Distribution —Currently only known from low lying inselbergs in north eastern Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique. The type locality is situated at the Taratibu’ s Conservancy Area, near the Base camp, in the Quirimbas National Park.