Nothophryne inagoensis, 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 : 74-77

Nothophryne inagoensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7433A790-7227-4992-875C-9BB353754306

Inago Mogrel Frog; Inago Mountain Frog ( Figs 7A–D )

Holotype — PEM A12159 , juvenile, collected from a granite dome located on the southern side of Mount Inago (15.04500° S, 37.39611° E, 1 267 m asl), Mozambique by W. Conradie, K.A. Tolley and G.B. Bittencourt-Silva on 18 April 2017.

Paratypes (15) — PEM 12160-70 , NHML NHM UK 2018.02289-90, all juveniles. Same collection details as holotype .

Additional material (2) — PEM A11657-7 , two metamorphs, collected from the northern slopes of Mount Inago (15.15567° S, 37.42836° E, 1 230 m asl), Mozambique by J. Bayliss on 15 May 2009 .

Diagnosis — Nothophryne inagoensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from other Nothophryne by the following: presence of a very short narrow median lingual process (approximately 0.2 mm) 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. ribauensis sp. nov. – marginally elevated tubercle; N. unilurio sp. nov. – absent) ( Fig. 2C ), tympanum visible (differs only form N. baylissi sp. nov. which is obscured or barely visible). The sequences of Nothophryne inagoensis sp. nov. differ from the other species of Nothophryne by 4–6% (16S p-distance) and 2–5% (RAG1 p-distance). Nothophryne inagoensis sp. nov. is allopatric from all other Nothophryne species.

Etymology —The new species is named after Mount Inago, where this species is endemic.

Description of holotype —Small to medium size frog, SUL 15.2 mm. Body is slender, dorsolateral flattened, widest at armpits. Head broad (HW/SUL 0.38), rounded from above in profile, head length is moderate to short (HL/SUL 0.34). 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 slightly closer to the snout than the eye (EN/SL 0.50). Internarinal distance is larger than distance between eye and nostril (IND/EN 1.39). Eyes directed anterolaterally, the eyes protrude, and visible from below, moderate to large in size (ED/HW 0.37; ED/HL 0.41), just more than one and a half times the interorbital distance (ED/IOD 1.62). Distance between anterior corners of eyes is smaller than the internostril distance (IOD/IND 0.72). The angle of the jaw slopes slightly upwards posteriorly from snout to just behind eye level. Tympanum clearly visible, with a light 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 (4.8 mm), same width proximally to distally (∼ 2.5 mm), bifurcated distally, first 25% attached to lower jaw, very small narrow median lingual process present on the dorsal surface of the tongue.

The dorsal surfaces of the head, trunk and limbs are smooth, with slightly raised glands and skin folds present; the rictal gland is smooth slightly elevated from angle of jaw to form a continues posteriorly ridge just before arm insertion, with some white tipped spikes. Supratympanic fold conspicuous; throat with no enlarge anterior scattered spikes. 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 mottled appearance anteriorly, getting mottled to about arm insertion ( Fig. 7D ).

The forelimb is stubby, hand small (HAL/SUL 0.26), finger tips 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, that reaches the distal phalanx of the first finger; inner metacarpal tubercle absent, outer metacarpal tubercle inconspicuous, central metacarpal tubercle present. One very small palmar tubercle present on the palm at the base of Finger III.

Hind limbs moderately long (TL/SUL 0.54; FL/SUL 0.51), foot 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. 7A ) —The dorsum brown with darker raised glands, no lighter vertebral line present, a lighter triangular snout patch present. Venter is clear with very slight black pigmentation present anteriorly of the snout forming larger blotches to the forearm midline. Arms and legs are strongly cross-banded, with upper arms clear of bands.

Colour in preservative —The dorsum dark brown with small darker raised glands, no dorsal lighter vertebral line present. Venter immaculate white with no bold black pigmentation, throat finely black pigmentation up to anterior chest region just below line with forearms. From just above the forearms midline is larger darker blotches randomly scattered to just below the forearms midline. Sole of feet and hands are dark pigmented, with tubercles being lighter in colouration. The inner thighs and anterior abdomen free of pigmented, forearms slightly pigmented. Palm and sole of feet darkened.

Variation — All the material examine conforms morphologically to the holotype ( Table 2; Supplementary Table 4). All paratypes conform to the overall coloration described for the holotype: except all the paratypes have a interorbital bar lighter coloured than the lighter triangular snout patch, PEM A 12161 and 12172 have a light mid dorsal line, and all have a different degree of darker pigmentation over the throat up to the forearm midline .

Advertisement call —Currently unknown. At the time of the collection no breeding activity was observed.

Natural History —Juveniles were collected hiding under moss growing over the rock face were water seeps occurs ( Fig. 7B ).

Distribution —Currently only known from Mount Inago in central Mozambique.

Figures

Figure 2. Schematic representation of median lingual process e on the dorsal surface of the tongue of Nothophryne spp. (A) N. broadleyi PEM A1074 (B) N. baylissi sp. nov. NHM UK 2018.02284, (C) N. inagoensis sp. nov. PEM A12159, (D) N. ribauensis sp. nov. PEM A11372, (E) N. unilurio sp. nov. PEM A12114.

Figure 7. Nothophryne inagoensis sp. nov. from Mount Inago. (A) Juvenile, (B) habitat, (C) dorsal view of holotype PEM A12159, (D) ventral view of holotype PEM A12159.