Nanorana vicina (Stoliczka, 1872)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4759.3.11 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3810027 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039A8799-3A45-AC33-FA82-4947FE40BC3D |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Nanorana vicina |
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. Murree Hills Frog
, is an endemic species of Southeast Asian uplands in Pakistan and India and was first reported by Stoliczka (1872) from Murree, Punjab Province, Pakistan. Later Rais et al. (2014) recaptured it from its type locality and described morphology of one juvenile female and one adult male.
The species is listed as Least Concern in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species while the EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) score is 2.64.
In Pakistan, it is reported from brook water springs and streams of Murree, Galiat (North Punjab), Ayubia (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir ( Rais et al. 2014). Although the adult form has been characterized ( Khan 2006; Rais et al. 2014), the morphology of the tadpoles have not yet been described. The current study aimed to describe external morphology and morphometry of tadpoles of N. vicina .
We collected 154 tadpoles during March 2018 from the streams of Village Perhana (UTMX 358388.4, UTMY 3745826.6, zone 43), Tehsil Murree, District Rawalpindi , Province Punjab, Pakistan . All were studied alive and later one tadpole of each Gosner (1960) stage (26 to 41) was euthanized and preserved in 20% Bouin’s solution ( Khan 1982). The samples were housed at the lab of Department of Wildlife Management at PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, with voucher numbers SG-19926 to SG-19941. The morphological terminology followed Altig (2007) and McDiarmid and Altig (1999). Twenty tadpoles of stage 36 (SG-19936) were used to describe the external morphology. The photographs were taken with the help of Canon EOS D60 DSLR with EF-S 18–55 mm lens. Eighteen variables were measured with INSIZE Electronic Calipers series 1112 (0.01 mm). One specimen at stage 36 was studied using scanning electron microscope (2380 N Hitachi) for studying the oral apparatus at Central Hi-Tech Lab, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Description of tadpoles. The morphological measurements are given in mm as mean ± standard error: total length (TL) = 50.96 ± 4.14, snout-vent distance (SVL) = 22.37 ± 1.45, body length (BL) = 18.9 ± 1.48, maximum body width (MBW) = 10.76 ± 0.95, body height (BH) = 6.52 ± 0.87, eye diameter (ED) = 1.8 ± 0.23, internarial distance (IND) = 1.66 ± 0.26, interorbital distance (IOD) = 3.93 ± 0.52, snout-narial distance (SND) = 2.33 ± 0.44, orbito-narial distance (OND) = 1.33 ± 0.28, snout-spiracle distance (SSD) = 12.14 ± 0.87, tail length (TLL) = 36.55 ± 3.46, maximum tail height (MTH) = 7.17 ± 0.85, tail muscle height (TMH) = 5.16 ± 0.7, tail muscle width (TMW) = 4.58 ± 0.56, dorsal fin height (DFH) = 2.44 ± 0.33, ventral fin height (VFH) = 2.36 ± 0.37 and oral disc width (ODW) = 5.84 ± 0.49. The tadpoles were medium sized. Body depressed in lateral view ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ) and oval in dorsal view ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ); longer than broad (BL/MBW = 1.76) and broader than deep (MDW/BH = 1.67). Snout broad and round in dorsal view, slightly sloped and pointed in lateral view. Interorbital distance more than twice the internarial distance (IOD/IND = 2.4). Nares small, rounded, slightly rimmed and closer to eyes than snout (SND/END = 1.79). Eyes round, small, positioned dorsally and directed dorsolaterally ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ). Spiracle single, sinistral, distinct, oval opening, posterodorsally directed, spiracular tube attached to the body, visible in lateral, dorsal and ventral views. Tail robust, muscular and well-developed, more than 1.5 times longer than body length (TLL/BL = 1.93), tail length five times the tail height (TLL/MTH = 5.13), tail height similar to body height (MTH/BH = 1.11); tail tip widely rounded. Tail muscle height slightly greater than tail muscle width (TMH/TMW = 1.13), dorsal and ventral fin origin nonparallel, fins of same height (DFH/VFH = 1.04), tail muscle height more than twice dorsal fin height (TMH/DFH = 2.14) and ventral fin height (TMH/VFH = 2.22). Dorsal fin originates posteriorly on the body; ventral fin originates attached to the vent tube. Vent tube medial, attached to the left side of the ventral tail fin with dextral opening ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ). Oral disc medium sized (MBW/ODW = 1.85), anteroventral, not emarginated. Marginal papillae continuous on posterior labium with a wide dorsal gap on anterior labium; submarginal papillae larger, arranged in a single row in posterior labium and some scattered at the lateral margins of the anterior labium and posterior labium. Labial tooth row formula (LTRF) 5(3-5)/3(1). The jaw sheaths fully keratinized, dark, serrated (22 serrations/mm), upper sheath widely arched and lower sheath wide ‘V’-shaped ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ). Labial teeth (35/ 0.5 mm) with narrow base and head with multiple cusps.
Color in life. The body dorsum was dark, greenish-brown or greenish-gray, while the ventral side was transparent with visible digestive tract. Tail was greenish-gray in dorsal view having dark greenish-brown speckles. In lateral view tail muscle was darker dorsally and gradually became lighter creamish-green color ventrally. The speckles also decreased gradually from dorsal to ventral side and anterior to posterior side of the tail. Color in preservative: The body dorsum dark, green in appearance; ventral side yellow with visible intestines. Yellow staining due to picric acid in Bouin’s solution ( Fig. 1 A, B and C View FIGURE 1 ).
The comparison of the tadpoles of Nanorana vicina with other studied tadpoles of the genus, N. aenea , N. unculuanus , N. chayuensis , N. conaensis , N. maculosa , N. medogensis , N. taihangnica , N. parkeri , N. pleskei and N. ventripunc- tata, showed that the posterior labium had three labial tooth rows with one medially interrupted 3(1) in all species while five anterior tooth rows of N. vicina was a shared character with N. conaensis . Two rows of papillae on posterior labium were also common in all except N. parkeri and N. pleskei tadpoles. Tail end was also round in most with the exception of N. chayuensis and N. maculosa ( Chuaynkern et al. 2018; Fei et al. 2012). The tadpole of Murree Hills Frog ( Nanorana vicina ) were type IV Orton (1953) and type 5 Inthara et al. (2005) larvae. Some features, such as anteroventral oral disc, dorsoventrally flattened body and low tail fins, are frequent in tadpoles of shallow, permanent lotic water bodies ( Ampai et al. 2015). The anteroventral placement of the oral disc, and the structure of keratinized mouthparts suggest a detritivorous and suspension-rasper feeding ecology ( Khan & Mufti 1994).
The description of Nanorana vicina provides an essential morphological basis for the identification and classification. Further study on buccopharyngeal morphology, diet analysis and population dynamics may help understand natural history of the species.
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