Itapotihyla langsdorffii, (Duméril & Bibron, 1841) (Dumeril & Bibron, 1841)

Pimenta, Bruno V. S. & Canedo, Clarissa, 2007, Description of the tadpole of Itapotihyla langsdorffii (Anura: Hylidae), Zootaxa 1387 (1), pp. 39-46 : 40-42

Results

Tadpole description. Stages 39–40 ( Gosner 1960). Mean total length 53.1 (sd = 2.72 mm). Body robust and elongated, elliptical in lateral, dorsal, and ventral views; snout rounded in dorsal view and truncated in lateral view ( Fig. 1A, B, C ). Body length approximately 34% (32.6–36%) of total length; body width about 55.3% (55.1–55.4%) of body length. Nostrils rounded, closer to eyes than to snout, located and oriented anterodorsally; internostril distance about 65.4% (61–70.6%) of interorbital distance; eyes located laterally; eye­nostril distance approximately equal to eye diameter; spiracle single, sinistral, short and tightly attached to body, with its opening situated on the body middle third, slightly below the midline of body, and posterodorsally oriented; spiracle inner wall absent; anal tube dextral, short and wide, attached to ventral fin. Tail ca. 2.0 mm higher than body; tail muscle height about 29.3% (27.1–35.5%) of tail height; dorsal fin slightly higher than ventral fin; dorsal and ventral fins originating at body­tail junction; tail musculature nearly reaches tail tip, which is obtusely pointed. Oral disc anteroventral, not emarginated, its width approximately 49.5% (47.4– 52.2%) of body width; two rows of marginal papillae, with a medial gap on upper lip; a few scattered submarginal papillae on ventrolateral portions; labial tooth row formula 2(2)/6(1) in younger tadpoles (stages 35–36); the sixth posterior teeth row is fragile and laterally fragmented. On stages 38 to 40, we no longer considered it a teeth row, because it is completely fragmented and denticles are scarce, so labial tooth row formula becomes 2(2)/5(1); upper jaw sheath arched, nearly “U”­shaped, and lower sheath “V”­shaped ( Fig. 1D ). Measurements are shown in Table 1 .

Tadpole color. General color pattern in life is greenish brown, with scattered black dots over body and tail. A roughly “U”­shaped set of cream blotches is observed under the eyes. A grayish brown stripe is observed from the anterior margin of eyes to mouth, and a cream stripe from the anterior margin of eyes to nostrils. Tail musculature is cream, with a longitudinal black stripe from the beginning to the end of tail. A narrow line of small black dots marginates tail musculature dorsally. Fins are reddish and translucent, with small, scattered black dots. Venter is cream. Iris is golden, divided horizontally by a thin black line. Legs have the same color of body, with black blotches mainly on toes.

In 5% formalin, body remains greenish brown, with scattered black dots on dorsum. Venter and fins become transparent, and legs are cream. Black and cream coloration are maintained.

Juvenile color. General color pattern is green with two large brownish transversal stripes between the eyes and on the middle of body, dorsal skin tubercles covered by black or white dots. Subcloacal folds and glandular ridges of arms and legs white. Metamorphosed specimens have a mean snout­vent length of 19.7 mm (18.2­20.4 mm; n = 4).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Tadpole of Itapotihyla langsdorffii, stage 40 of Gosner (1960): (A) lateral view; (B) dorsal view; (C) ventral view (scale = 5 mm); (D) oral disc (scale = 1 mm).