Proceratophrys cristiceps ( Müller, 1884 )

Vieira, Washington Luiz Da Silva, Vieira, Kleber Da Silva & Santana, Gindomar Gomes, 2007, Description of the tadpoles of Proceratophrys cristiceps (Anura: Cycloramphidae, Odontophrynini), Zootaxa 1397 (1), pp. 17-24 : 18-22

Description of the tadpoles of Proceratophrys cristiceps ( Müller, 1884)

Stage 39 tadpoles ( Gosner 1960) demonstrated a globular body form that is slightly depressed in lateral view ( Fig. 1A ), ovoid in both the dorsal ( Fig. 1B ) and the ventral view ( Fig. 1C ), and were wider than they were high ( Table I ). Body length is approximately 41.1% of the total length; the snout is short and rounded in both the lateral and their dorsal view, large eyes, dorsal, with diameters equal to 15.2% of the body length, interorbital distance is 26.7% of body width; eye­snout distance is 15,5 % of body length, and eye­nostril distance is 7.9% of body length.

Nostrils small, rounded, with inter­nasal distance 15.2% of the body width, and positioned dorsally midway between the eyes and the snout. Spiracle short, sinistral, fused to the body and positioned laterally on the medium third of the body, with circular opening directed dorsally.

Short vent tube fused to tail with dextral­directed opening ( Fig. 1C ). Tail with visible muscles, wide base, edge rounded, length equal to 64.1% of total length. Dorsal fin placed at rear third of body, higher than the ventral fin, with its greatest height at the middle of the tail; ventral fin thin and slightly arched.

Oral disk emarginate, positioned ventrally ( Fig.1C ), with width equivalent to 36.1% of body width, surrounded by a single row of marginal papillae, widely interrupted at the anterior section. Some submarginal papillae present, placed more internally in a disperse pattern ( Fig. 2A ). Papillae long, conical, simple and rounded, with convex extremities. Dental formula 2(2)/3(1); rows A–1 and A–2 are of similar length; A–2 widely interrupted medially; P–1 slightly interrupted, and P–3 shorter than the others ( Fig. 2A ). Labial teeth dark, slightly curved towards oral opening, with 22 to 26 cusps ( Fig. 2B and 2C ). Upper and lower jaw sheaths intensely pigmented and slightly serrated, upper sheath U­shaped and the lower slightly convex.

The dorsal portion of live tadpoles olive­colored, with scattered dark brown blotches, flanks same color as dorsal portion; spiracle transparent; anterior third of belly whitened and posterior portion pigmented, internal organs visible. Dorsal and ventral fins slightly pigmented, with some blotches of the same color as those seen in the dorsal area, muscular section of the tail more pigmented in the dorsal area than ventral portion. When preserved in formalin, the dorsal area of the tadpoles is dark­brown, with irregularly scattered black blotches, flanks the same color as dorsal area, belly transparent. The ventral and dorsal fins are transparent, with few dark patches; muscular section of the tail slightly pigmented, with small blotches of color as seen on dorsal area. Tadpole measurements are listed in Table I .

Internal oral anatomy – buccal floor circular and wide ( Fig. 3A ). Mouth opening equivalent to 11.8 % of width of buccal floor. Presence of four simple infralabial papillae, conical, with apices rhomboid and margins pustulose, anterior pair long and median pair short. Three long and bifurcate lingual papillae with sharp apices are present on buccal floor. Four short and conical prepocket papillae, three with rounded apices, only one is bifurcate with sharp apex.

Buccal floor arena triangular, with eight long papillae and 14­17 smaller papillae on each side, majority of these are conical with sharp tips. Internal section of Buccal floor arena with long pustulations, homogeneously spread, with 30 to 40 small papillae among those pustulations. Buccal pocket longer than wide, oriented transversally over the mid region of the buccal floor. Velar surface free, long, with posterior margin continuous and lightly dentate. Glottis distinct, with opening slightly exposed.

Buccal roof slightly triangular, thin in prenarinal arena and wide behind ( Fig. 3B ). Presence of curved transversal ridge in prenarinal arena, directly in front of internal nares. Internal nares longer than wide, oriented horizontally, positioned approximately 30.9% of the distance between the oral disk and the esophagus. Anterior section of each nare with pustulations, posterior section with convex narial valve, only slightly or not at all raised.

Postnarinal arena narrow with four papillae, anteromedial pair short and conical, posterolateral pair long, equally conical. Among the postnarial papillae are five to eight pustulations. Median ridge wide and semi­circular, with four to five long papillae with sharp tips on free surface. Lateral ridge papillae elaborate, oriented transversally on each side of the median ridge and with four to five short papillae on anterior margin. Two long papillae are projected medially over the median ridge.

Buccal roof arena narrow, with four papillae located posterior to median ridge, with semi­circular format, surrounded by five long papillae and four to five smaller papillae, all conical with sharp apices. Small pustulations homogeneously distributed within the Buccal roof arena, with 20­30 small papillae among the pustulations. Glandular zone conspicuous, with small pustulations and 35­40 small papillae. Dorsal velum long, gradually curving, interrupted medially and with free margin pustulate.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Proceratophrys cristiceps tadpole at stage 39 (Gosner, 1960), (A) Lateral view, (B) Dorsal view, (C) ventral view (scale = 8,75 mm).

FIGURE 2. Proceratophrys cristiceps tadpole (A) Oral disc (scale = 1,85 mm), (B) Ventral view of apical region of a tooth, (C) Lateral view of a tooth of the A–1 row (scale = 0,40 mm).

FIGURE 3. Proceratophrys cristiceps tadpole (A) Floor and (B) roof of buccopharyngeal cavity (scale = 2,33 mm). bfa = buccal floor arena; bfap = buccal floor arena papillae; bp = buccal pocket; bra = buccal roof arena; brap = buccal roof arena papillae; dv = dordal velum; fr = filter row; g = glottis; gz = glandular zone; in = internal nares; ip = infralabial papillae; ir = infrarostrodont; lp = lingual papillae; lrp = lateral ridge papillae; mr = median ridge; p = pustulation; pa = prenarinal arena; pp = prepocket papillae; ptp = postnarial papillae; sr = suprarostrodont; vv = ventral velum.

Tables

TABLE I. Average (x), standard deviation (dp), and amplitude (minimum­maximum) of the averages (mm) for tad­ poles of Proceratophris cristiceps (n = 20, stage 39).

Measurements	x	Standard Deviation	Amplitude
Total length	30.31	± 1.59	26.0 – 33.0
Body length	12.45	± 0.78	11.0 – 14.0
Maximum body height	5.51	± 0.56	5.0 – 6.9
Maximum body width	7.15	± 0.39	6.5 – 8.0
Tail length	19.44	± 1.21	16.5 – 21.45
Maximum tail muscle height	2.54	± 0.15	2.25 – 2.87
Maximum dorsal fin height	2.04	± 0.17	1.75 – 2.37
Maximum ventral fin height	1.52	± 0.15	1.25 – 1.87
Eye diameter	1.89	± 0.08	1.75 – 2.0
Internasal distance	1.09	± 0.11	0.87 – 1.25
Interorbital distance	1.91	± 0.14	1.75 – 2.25
Eye­snout distance	1.94	± 0.13	1.62 – 2.12
Eye­nare distance	0.99	± 0.33	0.75 – 2.25
Oral disk width	2.58	± 0.14	2.37 – 2.75