Leptodactylodon bicolor Amiet 1971

Leptodactylodon bicolor Amiet, 1971 We examined nine tadpoles from several sites on Mount Manengouba and the South-West Province of Cameroon: ZMB 78452 (four tadpoles, Gosner stages 25���26, Ebonemin, 5 �� 1 ��� 27.6 ���N, 9 �� 45 ��� 53.2 ���E, 1417 m, 15 August 2011); ZMB 78453 (one tadpole, Gosner stage 26, Nkikoh, 5 �� 5 ��� 26.34 ���N, 9 �� 48 ��� 24.36 ���E, 1319 m, 5 December 2010); ZMB 78457 (one tadpole Gosner stage 25, Pola, 5 �� 3 ��� 26.6 ���N, 9 �� 50 ��� 10.2 ���E, 1788 m, 20 October 2011); ZMB 78458 (two tadpoles, Gosner stages 25���26, Pola, 5 �� 3 ��� 27.9 ���N, 9 �� 49 ��� 39 ���E, 1719 m, 20 October 2011); ZMB 78461 (one tadpole, Gosner stage 35, Fotabong, 5 �� 28 ��� 46.44 ���N, 9 �� 55 ��� 53.22 ���E, 1221 m, 1 November 2011). The tadpoles were all found in small to medium-sized streams with farmbush vegetation on river banks (Fig. 2). They inhabited slowflowing parts of fast flowing streams with rapids in 1221���1788 m The description of L. bicolor is predominantely based on three (ZMB 78452, 78453, 78458) genotyped individuals of Gosner stage 26. Body length/total length ratio and description of tail tips was based on nongenotyped specimens of the same developmental stage. Morphology. Long slender tadpole with narrow and long muscular tail; body elliptical in dorsal view, slightly depressed in lateral view (Fig. 4 a, b); body shape in lateral view either slightly convex, extending level of tail axis (Fig. 4 a) or flat, in line with tail axis (Channing et al. 2012); body length 28.1 �� 2.1 % (N= 7) of total length; body height 42.6 �� 4.2 % (N= 3) of body length; body width 54.0 �� 4.3 % (N= 3) of body length; maximum body width on the level of spiracle insertion; snout nearly rounded to truncate in dorsal view; nostrils oval, positioned laterally, opening slightly pointed ventrally; nostrils equidistant from eye and snout tip; eye diameter 13.1 �� 1.8 % (N= 3) of body length; inter-orbital distance slightly exceeds inter-nostril distance; tail fins narrow; dorsal fin originating posterior to tail base (1.7 �� 0.3 mm; N= 3; Fig. 102 in Channing et al. 2012 and ZMB 78461: at level with tail base), equal to slightly deeper than ventral fin, reaching deepest point at about mid-tail, fin edge almost parallel to tail axis; ventral fin originating on level with tail base, narrow and almost parallel to tail axis; tail axis muscular, only slowly converging towards tail tip; tail tip rounded; body height 78.1���100 % (N= 3; flatter individuals possibly due to preservation artifact) of total tail height; maximum height of tail axis 62.5 ���75.0% (N= 3) of total tail height; vent tube dextral; lateral sacs present, extending from spiracle to end of body, covering lower two thirds of flanks; short spiracle, sinistral, translucent, opening lateral, not visible in dorsal view, originating slightly posterior to midbody; mouth opening frontal; labial tooth formula 0/0; both jaw sheaths fully keratinized and of narrow almost rectangular shape; upper jaw distinctly serrated, serrations uniform; lower jaw U-shaped, serrated, lateral pair of caniniform projections (���fangs���; Fig. 4 d), median part with six to seven needle-like cusps (Channing et al. 2012: 8); three distinct serrations abaxial to fangs; large almost semicircular posterior lip covered with 20 papillae; papillae symmetrically arranged along body axis; most papillae arranged in two semicircular rows, one near the lower jaw sheath, the second closer to posterior margin of lower lip (Fig. 4 c); almost straight skin fold on lower lip, just posterior to lower jaw sheath; oral disc width 33.9���45.4 % (N= 3) of body length; mouth width 22.2���33.3 % (N= 3) of oral disc width. The largest tadpole at Gosner stage 25 (ZMB 78462) measured 48.8 mm total length (body length: 11.9 mm; tail length: 38.9 mm). The most developed individual (ZMB 78461, Gosner stage 35) measured 45.6 mm total length (body length: 12.8 mm; tail length: 32.8 mm). Amiet (1980) reports tailed metamorphs measuring 13.5 mm SVL. Coloration in preservation. Dorsal body parts and tail axis irregularly speckled dark brown on brown ground; mottling on tail axis strong, less pattern towards tail tip; anterior part of tail with longitudinal black line; ventrum clearer with very little dark speckling; dorsal fin brownish with darker spots or translucent; ventral fin predominantly translucent cream-white with few darker spots. Coloration in life. Light brown with dark brown speckling, some dots being lighter; venter light grayishreddish; dark intestinal loops shining through skin; some individuals with cream-white snout.
Published as part of Mapouyat, Lissa, Hirschfeld, Mareike, R��del, Mark-Oliver, Liedtke, H. Christoph, Loader, Simon P., Gonwouo, L. Nono, Dahmen, Matthias, Doherty-Bone, Thomas M. & Barej, Michael F., 2014, The tadpoles of nine Cameroonian Leptodactylodon species (Amphibia, Anura, Arthroleptidae), pp. 29-53 in Zootaxa 3765 (1) on pages 32-34, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3765.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/285560
{"references":["Channing, A., Rodel, M. - O. & Channing, J. (2012) Tadpoles of Africa - The biology and identification of all known tadpoles in sub-Saharan Africa. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main, 404 pp.","Amiet, J. - L. (1980) Revision du genre Leptodactylodon Andersson (Amphibia, Anura, Astylosterninae). Annales de la Faculte des Sciences de Yaounde, 27, 69 - 224."]}