Leptodactylodon mertensi Perret 1959

Leptodactylodon mertensi Perret, 1959 We examined 48 tadpoles, all from Mount Manengouba: ZMB 78499 (two tadpoles, Gosner stages 25 & 40, Ebonemin, 5 �� 1 ��� 33.42 ��� N, 9 �� 45 ��� 46.74 ���E, 1356 m, 13 December 2010); ZMB 78500 (eight tadpoles, Gosner stages 25 & 42, Ebonemin, 5 ��0��� 46.5 ���N, 9 �� 45 ��� 46.74 ���E, 1372 m, 16 December 2010); ZMB 78501 (one tadpole, Gosner stage 25, Ebonemin, 5 ��0��� 46.5 ���N, 9 �� 46 ��� 5.8 ���E, 1372 m, 7 October 2011); ZMB 78503 (one tadpole Gosner stage 25, Ebonemin, 5 �� 1 ��� 6.2 ���N, 9 �� 46 ��� 16.8 ���E, 1447 m, 9 October 2011); ZMB 78504 (two tadpoles, Gosner stages 25 & 27, Caldera, 5 �� 2 ��� 26.2 ���N, 9 �� 48 ��� 30 ���E, 1889 m, 2 September 2011); ZMB 78505 (two tadpoles, Gosner stage 25 & 28, Caldera, 5 �� 2 ��� 26.2 ���N, 9 �� 48 ��� 30 ���E, 1889 m, 17 October 2011); ZMB 78507 (three tadpoles, Gosner stage 25, Manengouba village, 4 �� 56 ��� 50.3 ���N, 9 �� 52 ��� 45.8 ���E, 996 m, 28 June 2011); ZMB 78508 ���09 (six tadpoles and one tadpole, respectively, Gosner stage 25, M���Bouroukou, 5 �� 3 ��� 48.2 ���N, 9 �� 52 ��� 0.09 ���E, 1518 m, 22 September 2011); ZMB 78511 (one tadpole, Gosner stage 25, Nkack, 5 �� 2 ��� 17.4 ���N, 9 �� 46 ��� 27.3 ���E, 1466 m, 12 October 2011); ZMB 78513 (five tadpoles, Gosner stage 25, Pastoral Nkongsamba, 4 �� 59 ��� 13.26 ���N 9 �� 52 ��� 45.9 ���E, 1459 m, 18 January 2011); ZMB 78514 ��� 16 (two tadpoles, eight tadpoles and six tadpoles, respectively; Gosner stages 25 & 26, Pastoral Nkongsamba, 4 �� 58 ��� 47.1 ���N, 9 �� 53 ��� 41.9 ���E, 1225 m, 29 September 2011). The tadpoles occurred in small to mid-sized rivers between 996 m and 1889 m altitude. These riverbanks were covered with forest and farmbush vegetation (Fig. 2). The description is based on ten genotyped tadpoles (ZMB 78500 ���01, 7850 ���304, 78507���09, 78511, 78513, 78515) at Gosner stage 25. Body length/total length ratio and description of tail tips was based on non-genotyped specimens of the same developmental stage. Morphology. Long but robust tadpole with long tail and very broad muscular tail axis; body elliptical in dorsal and robust and pointed in lateral view (Fig. 8 a, b); body length 28.3 �� 2.4 % (N= 31) of total length; body height 42.2 �� 3.9 % (N= 10) of body length; body width 54.0 �� 4.2 % (N= 10) of body length, maximum body width on level of spiracle insertion; snout truncate to nearly rounded in dorsal view; nostrils oval and situated laterally; nostrils equidistant from eye and snout tip; eye diameter 12.7 �� 0.9 % (N= 10) of body length; inter-orbital distance slightly smaller than inter-nostril; tail fins narrow; dorsal fin mostly originating posterior to tail base (exceptionally fin insertions at or slightly anterior to tail base were observed); narrow dorsal fins, reaching deepest point posterior to mid-tail, slightly deeper than ventral fin; ventral fin originates at level with tail base, runs almost parallel to tail axis; tail tip rounded; tail axis very broad and muscular in dorsal and lateral view; body height 91.0 �� 4.1 % (N= 10) of total tail height; maximum height of tail axis 69.1 �� 5.9 % (N= 9) of maximum tail height; vent tube dextral; lateral sacs present, extending from spiracle to end of body, covering lower two thirds of flanks; short sinister spiracle, translucent, opening lateral, not visible in dorsal view, originating at mid-body; mouth opening frontal; labial tooth row formula 0/0; both jaw sheaths completely keratinized; upper jaw narrow, almost rectangular, slightly bent, distinctly and uniformly serrated; lower jaw U-shaped, distinctly serrated with a lateral pair of caniniform projections (fangs), median part with six to seven needle-like cusps (Fig. 8 d; Channing et al. 2012: 8); two distinct serrations abaxial to fangs; posterior lip huge semicircular to oval bean shaped, covered with 21 papillae (Channing et al. 2012: 20); arrangement of papillae symmetric to vertical body axis; papillae arranged in two semicircular rows (Fig. 8 c); straight to semicircular skin fold on lower lip, just posterior to lower jaw sheath; oral disc width 34.0 �� 2.6 % (N= 10) of body length; mouth width 26.2 �� 3.2 % (N= 10) of oral disc width. The most advanced individuals (ZMB 78499, Gosner stage 40; ZMB 78500, three tadpoles of Gosner stages 40���42) measured 43.3���46.2 mm (body length. 11.3���13.9 mm; tail length: 29.7���32.6 mm). A few tadpoles of Gosner stages 25���26 even reached 46.1���49.5 mm total length. Channing et al. (2012) reported 52 mm total length. Amiet (1980) measured metamorphs, still possessing 4���5 mm tails, with 13.5���15.5 mm SVL. Coloration in preservation. Pale brown body and tail; dorsal parts of body and entire tail axis heavily mottled with little dark spots; ventral parts lighter; fins with very few dark markings, translucent cream white; 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 37-39, 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."]}