Limnonectes gyrinophorus, Dehling & Neokleous & Das & Grafe & Min & Hertwig, 2025

Dehling, Maximilian, Neokleous, Dario N., Das, Indraneil, Grafe, Ulmar, Min, Pui Yong & Hertwig, Stefan T., 2025, Cryptic radiation within the tadpole-carrying Guardian Frogs from Borneo, Limnonectes palavanensis and L. finchi (Anura: Dicroglossidae), with the description of eight new species, Zootaxa 5650 (1), pp. 1-80 : 43-46

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5650.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F8B8158B-26F9-4E1A-A1CF-A20A72F2D875
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/62199F50-FFCD-FFE0-FF34-FA91FE6AFC99
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Limnonectes gyrinophorus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Limnonectes gyrinophorus sp. nov.

Rana finchi — Inger & Stuebing 1992: 46 (partim); Inger et al. 1996: 363; Malkmus 1996: 293; Lakim et al. 1999: 32. Limnonectes finchi View in CoL — Inger et al. 2000: 16 (partim); Hoffmann 2002: 28, 31; Malkmus et al. 2002: 141 (partim); Inger et al.

2017: 79 (partim).

Holotype. NMBE 1075255 View Materials , adult female, from Sungai Kipungit 1 (6.051250°, 116.701919°; 530 m), Kinabalu National Park, Poring, Sabah, Malaysia collected on 11 March 2017 by A. Haas, R. Hagmann, S. T. Hertwig, P. Yambun ( Fig. 3J View FIGURE 3 , Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 ).

Paratype. ZFMK 79844 About ZFMK , adult male, from Poring , Sabah, Malaysia, collected on 16 April 1994 by Peter Hoffmann .

Diagnosis. Limnonectes gyrinophorus sp. nov. belongs to the L. finchi species group, showing the typical characters of the group, including moderate size (SVL of males to 36.4 mm, of females to 42.9 mm); odontoid processes in lower jaw low and inconspicuous in both males and females; dorsum granular with interrupted, longitudinal dorsal rows of elongate tubercles; interorbital distance shorter than upper eyelid width; pineal spot distinctly visible; toes not fully webbed; and horseshoe-shaped dermal ridge in middle of dorsum posterior to arm insertion. The species differs from the other species of the group by showing a unique combination of characters including dorsal face very rough with many elevated warts and glandular ridges, and cloaca surrounded by numerous, densely arranged small tubercles; skin on ventral side of head and chest thick, forming collar-like posterior edge and distinct transverse chest fold; loreal region angular; pineal spot round, in front of line between anterior eye edge; vomer processes bearing 3–4 teeth, separated from each other and from choana by half length of individual process; hindlimbs relatively short with tibiotarsal joint reaching to nostril; first finger relatively long, subequal to third finger; distinct, moveable dermal flap on postaxial side of Toe V from proximal end of metacarpus to disk. The species differs from the other species of the group by at least 4.4% in the sequence of the 16S barcoding gene.

Description of holotype. Adult female; SVL 42.9 mm; body sturdy, widest at level of arm insertion, markedly tapering to groin ( Fig. 3J View FIGURE 3 ); head large (HL/SVL 0.38, HW/SVL 0.38), about as wide as long (HW/HL 0.98); snout moderately long (SL/HL 0.42), rounded in both dorsal view and profile, slightly projecting beyond lower jaw, slightly wider than long (SL/EE 0.95); canthus rostralis distinct between eye and nostril, concave in anterior half, straight-lined posteriorly; loreal region oblique, moderately concave; nostrils rounded, directed dorsolaterally, situated closer to tip of snout than to eye (EN/NS 1.23), separated from each other by distance slightly larger than distance between eye and nostril (NN/EN 1.10); eye directed anterolaterally, moderately protruding, large (ED/HL 0.31), its diameter shorter than snout (ED/SL 0.73); interorbital distance shorter than upper eyelid width (IO/EW 0.81) and smaller than internarial distance (IO/NN 0.73); pineal spot distinctly visible, rounded, anterior to line between anterior eye edges; tympanum and its annulus distinctly visible; tympanum separated from eye by threefifths its diameter (ET/TD 0.59); tympanum diameter smaller than eye diameter (TD/ED 0.63); upper jaw with dentition; odontoid processes in lower jaw low, inconspicuous; choanae small, rounded, located anterolaterally at margins of roof of mouth, not covered by palatal shelf of maxilla in ventral view; vomer processes bearing teeth, large, separated from each other and from choana by half length of individual process ( Fig. 4J View FIGURE 4 ); tongue long and broad, bilobed for about one-fifth of its length, free distally for about two-thirds its length; median lingual process absent.

Dorsal surfaces of head, trunk and limbs rough, with scattered enlarged tubercles, larger ones with pointed keratinous tips, and with elongate short dermal ridges ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 ); tubercle ridges in indistinct, interrupted longitudinal rows on both sides parallel to middle of the dorsum, replaced by indistinct, inverted-v-shaped dermal ridge in middle of back just behind level of arms; dorsal surfaces of forearm, hand, tarsus and foot shagreened; lateral surfaces of trunk shagreened with scattered small tubercles; thick dorsal skin of trunk ending abruptly at level of posterior end of upper eyelid, forming distinct transverse dermal edge; dorsal face of head finely granular; skin from nostril to tympanum rougher granular; supratympanic fold very thick and conspicuous, extending from posterior end of orbit to insertion of arm, curved; enlarged tubercles on posterior part of upper eyelid; very conspicuous and large tubercle just posterior to mouth opening; skin on ventral side of head smooth with distinct wrinkles; skin smooth on chest and abdomen; skin on ventral side of head and chest thick, forming collar-like posterior edge running from end of jaw, anteriorly to arm insertion to middle of chest, eventually forming distinct transverse chest fold between arm insertions; ventral side of limbs smooth; cloaca without dermal flap, surrounded by numerous, densely arranged small tubercles.

Forelimbs moderately sturdy; hand relatively small (HND/SVL 0.24); tips of fingers rounded, swollen and enlarged into small disks, largest on Finger I, smallest on Finger IV; relative length of fingers: IV <II <I <III, with Finger I subequal to Finger III, and Finger IV subequal to Finger II; subarticular tubercles rounded, well developed, numbering one on Fingers I and II, two on Fingers III and IV, proximal tubercles on Fingers III and IV much larger and more prominent than distal ones; subarticular tubercle of Finger I markedly larger than subarticular tubercle on Finger II and proximal tubercles on Fingers III and IV; finger webbing absent; thenar tubercle distinct, oval, flat, about one-third length of metacarpal of Finger I; inner palmar tubercle small, rounded, flat, on proximal end of metacarpus of Fingers II and III; outer palmar tubercle larger, elongated, on proximal half of metacarpal of Finger IV, fused with inner palmar at proximal base, about two-thirds size of thenar tubercle.

Hindlimbs moderately sturdy, long (LEG /SVL 1.72); heel reaching to level of nostrils when legs adpressed forwardly to body; tibiofibula long (TFL/SVL 0.55), slightly longer than thigh (TFL/THL 1.10); heels overlapping each other considerably when knees flexed and thighs held perpendicularly to median plane; foot shorter than tibiofibula (FOT/TFL 0.89); relative length of toes: I <II <V <III <IV; toe tips rounded, slightly enlarged into disks; subarticular tubercles numbering one on Toes I and II, two on Toes III and V, and three on Toe IV; pedal webbing formula I 1+/2 II 1+/2.25 III 1.25/2.75 IV 2.75/1.25 V ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ); dermal flap on postaxial side of Toe V, widest from proximal end of metacarpus to proximal subarticular tubercle, continued to disk; inner metatarsal tubercle very prominent, elongated, half as long as metatarsus of Toe I; outer metatarsal tubercle absent; low ridges of callous tissue from proximal plantar part of metatarsus to proximal subarticular tubercle on Toes I, II, and V.

Colouration. Life colouration ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 ): Dorsum medium greyish brown; larger tubercles light to reddish brown; interorbital bar dark brown, continued onto posterior part of upper eyelids, bordered anteriorly by light brown band; dorsal face of head anterior to interorbital bar light olive-greenish brown with dark brown speckling; pineal spot whitish; sides of head to tympanic area with alternate bands of dark olive-greenish brown and greenish white bands; tympanum covered with dark brown spot; supratympanic fold light brown; flanks light greenish grey; arms creamy grey with faint greyish crossbars on lower arm; fingers light cream-coloured with dark grey blotches; legs greenish light brown with olive-greenish brown crossbars and small, light reddish brown tubercles; crossbars as wide on thigh as on crus; toes light cream-coloured; webbing dark olive green; ventral side of head, arms, and legs off-white; dark brown spots along mandibular edge; throat mottled dark brown. See Hoffmann (2002: 28) and Malkmus et al. (2002: 141) for a photo of the male paratype in life.

In preserved state, dorsum dark greyish brown; dorsal pattern elements dark brown ( Fig. 3J View FIGURE 3 ); limbs including fingers and toes somewhat lighter brown, their reddish life colouration faded to light brown; ventral side light grey.

Variation. The male paratype matches the holotype in general appearance. SVL of the adult male is 36.4 mm ( Table 2). The male lacks nuptial pads and has numerous subconcentric dermal folds on the ventral side of the head. The vocal sac aperture is slit-like, directed posterolaterally, situated at corner of mouth. Pedal webbing variation is I 1+/2 II 1 + [50],1.25 [50] /2.25 [50],2.5 [50] III 1.25 /2.75 [50],3- [50] IV 2.75 [50],3+ [50] /1.25 V ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ) .

Bioacoustics. The call was reported by Malkmus et al. (2002) to consist of a short trill, but it is unclear if this characterization was based on a direct observation of a specimen from Kinabalu (Poring) or if the description of the call of L. finchi by Inger & Stuebing (1989) was cited. No call recording was available for a detailed analysis.

Distribution. So far, the species is known only from the eastern flank of Gunung Kinabalu in the area of Poring Hot Springs in northern Sabah, Malaysia at elevations of 500–530 m ( Figs. 8 View FIGURE 8 , 9 View FIGURE 9 ).

Ecology. The male paratype (ZFMK 79844) was observed near Poring carrying seven tadpoles to an ephemeral pond next to a road along the boundary of the Kinabalu National Park ( Hoffmann 1998, Malkmus et al. 2002). An uncollected male carrying at least 30 tadpoles on its back was observed north of Poring on 1 December 2024 (H. P. Guek in in litt., Fig. 10H View FIGURE 10 ).

Etymology. The species epithet is composed of the Ancient Greek noun γυρίνος [gyrínos], meaning tadpole, and the Latinized suffix -phorus (“the one who carries”; from Ancient Greek φορεῖν [phoreĩn] = “to carry”); meaning “the one that carries the tadpoles”, in allusion to the tadpole-carrying behaviour of the males of the species.

Suggested English name. Rugged Guardian Frog.

Species delimitations