Polypedates teraiensis ( Dubois, 1987 )

Raj, Prudhvi, Vasudevan, Karthikeyan, Dutta, Sushil Kumar, Sahoo, Gunanidhi, Mahapatra, Susmita & Sharma, Richa, 2023, Larval morphology of selected anuran species from India, Alytes 39 - 40, pp. 1-140 : 116-118

S28. Polypedates teraiensis ( Dubois, 1987) ( fig. 57‒58 )

Larval series examined. WT 084, WT 089, WT 093, WT 096, WT 098‒099, WT 101 and WT 107 (North Orissa University ( NOU), Baripda , Odisha, India; 21.929389 N, 86.765389 E). Tadpoles of this species were reared ex-situ at a lab in North Orissa University. Nothing is known about the natural history of this species .

Notes. The tadpoles were preserved in 10 % buffered formalin. Larval description for Polypedates teraiensis is not available.

External morphology. Description of a tadpole at Gosner stage 36. Body elliptical and triangular in dorsal and lateral perspectives ( fig. 57a‒b ). Body length 33 % of total length; maximum body diameter at centre of abdomen. Snout rounded and acutely curved in dorsal and lateral perspectives. Eyes large, located and oriented laterally; distance between eye and nostril 61 % of distance between eye and snout. Nostril opening oval with a protuberance on anterior tip, closer to snout than nostril, placed parallel to eye in dorsal view; inter-narial distance 47 % of inter-orbital distance. Spiracle sinistral and inner wall of tube not formed; tube oriented posterolateral, and its opening located below the medial and above the lateral side of venter. Distance between spiracle and snout 73 % of body length. Opening of vent tube dextral. Tail tip acute pointed; musculature linear on first third length of tail, tapering beyond. Dorsal fin originating at junction between body tail, ventral fin originating at ventral terminus; ventral fin wider than dorsal fin; maximum height of caudal fin at mid-length of tail. Height of tail muscle 1.22 times width of tail muscle at body-tail junction. Tail (caudal) musculature accounting for 43 % of height of tail. Lateral line visible. Glands absent on outer integument.

Oral disc located anteroventrally near snout ( fig. 57c ). Rostral width of oral disc 34.4 % of maximum body width, emarginated, not visible dorsally; single row of marginal papillae at lateral commissures and double rows on lower labium; marginal papillae broadly interrupted on upper labium and narrowly interrupted on lower labium; four to five large submarginal papillae at lateral commissures; both labia of equal size. Labial tooth row formula A4(2‒4)/P3. Order of lengths of labial tooth rows A1> P1> P2> P3> A2> A3> A4. Jaw sheaths well developed, and moderately keratinized. Jaw sheath margins uniformly serrated with small fine serrations; supra-rostrodont longer than wide and convex; infra-rostrodont U-shaped, convex laterally and concave medially.

Measurements of 41 tadpoles at various Gosner stages (26‒27, 29‒32, 34‒36) are given in tab. 27 .

Coloration. Tadpoles were fixed in 10 % formalin and preserved in 50 % ethanol for 15 years. In due course of time, pigmentation was lost, exact coloration of tadpoles cannot be ascertained.

Buccopharyngeal morphology. Buccal roof ( fig. 58a ). Prenarial arena of roof with an arched transverse ridge bearing four smaller pustules on either side. Internal nares transverse, oriented medially; gap between nares narrow, about half the length of nare; anterior narial wall pustulose with few pustules; a conical papilla at lateral corner of anterior narial wall; posterior wall tall, smooth and valvular; region of wall near to medial raised. Postnarial arena with a pair of conical papillae; each located behind posterior narial wall and oriented medially; papillae with rugose surface; two to three tiny pustules present in front of median ridge. Median ridge papilla triangular with a pustulated margin. A long and broad lateral ridge papilla with rugose surface on anterior margin perpendicular to median ridge. BRA demarcated with six pairs of long, conical papillae of unequal size on lateral border of roof; about 50 tiny pustules spread across BRA. Glandular zone thick and prominent bordered on the anterior by pustules. Margin of dorsal velum raised, broken medially with pustules.

Buccal floor ( fig. 58b ). Prelingual arena smooth and comprising two palps on lateral and posterolateral corners of jaw sheath; pair of stubby papillae located posteromedially between the two posterior palps; anterior palp smaller and stubby but broad as posterior palp; posterior palp long and dilated with rugose surface consisting of pustules. Tongue anlage broad; two pairs of smooth long lingual papillae present medially. Inner papillae longer than outward papillae. BFA well defined by six pairs of BFA papillae, beginning from middle of BFA and converging posterior-laterally but not meeting; BFA papillae long, conical and unequal in size; second and fifth papillae tall; BFA with 20 pustules mainly concentrated at posterior end; three to four papillae with about 10 pustules on lateral corners of the floor. Buccal pocket opening transverse and narrow, oriented linear towards anterior; pocket papillae absent; few pustules between tongue anlage and buccal pockets. Region between BFA and ventral velum comprising few pustules concentrated medially; ventral velum wide and sinuate; ventral velum margin with 14 projections; eight projections closer and concentrated around centre; outer six projections widely placed apart. Median notch present but not prominent; outer margin granular with secretory pits. Glottis exposed posterior to ventral velum.

Figures

Figure 57. Polypedates teraiensis, Gosner stage 30. External morphology: (a) Lateral view, (b) Dorsal view, (c) Ventral view. Scale = 10 mm.

Figure 58. Polypedates teraiensis, Gosner stage 37. Buccopharyngeal region: (a) Buccal roof, Alcian Blue stained photograph, ventral view, scale = 1 mm, (b) Buccal floor, Alcian Blue stained photograph, ventral view, scale = 1 mm.