Rhinella crucifer (Wied-Neuwied)

Oliveira, Marianna Isabella Rosa Rodrigues De, Weber, Luiz Norberto & Napoli, Marcelo Felgueiras, 2013, Internal oral morphology in larvae of the genus Rhinella Fitzinger, 1826 (Amphibia, Anura, Bufonidae), Zootaxa 3745 (5), pp. 501-523 : 503

Rhinella crucifer (Wied-Neuwied)

Material: one specimen (stage 31), two specimen (stage 34), three specimens (stage 35), one specimen (stage 37) and one specimen (stage 38).

Buccal floor ( Fig. 1E ): Ovoid buccal floor, wider than long. A pair of large papillae, concave on the anterior surface, apex with elongated projections and occupying a large part of the oral cavity entrance. Infrarrostral projections are absent. Four lingual papillae, digitiform, in equivalent size, with rounded or rarely bifurcated apex and arranged on the same transversal plane. The BFA is delimited by nearly 35 digitiform papillae in different size, a tapered apex and nearly 65 pustules distributed between the papillae. There are no structures in the anterior region of the BFA. Laterally to the buccal pockets there is a large and bifurcated papilla. The buccal pockets are transversely oriented. The ventral velum is long and U-shaped; undulated and tumid margin, with glandular appearance, constituted by secretory pits and nearly ten globular projections in the middle portion. Buccal roof ( Fig. 1F ): Ovoid buccal roof, as wide as long. Prenarial arena has a sinuous ridge and irregular apex (similar pattern to R. abei illustrated in Fig. 1B ). Large choanae, elliptical and obliquely oriented; the posterior valve is high and the anterior has two prenarial papillae on the inner edge and narial valve projections are present. The distance between the choanae is almost equivalent to the median ridge width. The postnarial arena has four conical papillae on each side, in different size, smooth surface, bifid apex and forming an inverted " V " design. There are two small conical papillae laterally to this area. Median ridge is triangular-shaped; flattened and anterior margin irregular. The lateral ridge papillae have the apex wider than the base, flattened, with three digitiform secondary branches in different size and a smooth anterior margin of the branches. The BRA is delimited laterally by three to four digitiform papillae on each side, elongated, in different sizes, with tapered apex and arranged forming a " V " design. There are nearly 50 pustules evenly distributed in the middle region of the BRA. Conspicuous glandular zone, thickened in the middle portion. The dorsal velum is short; undulated margin, with the lateral fold showing a glandular appearance and irregular margin in the middle region, without projections.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Scanning electron micrographs of the internal oral morphology. R. abei (A) floor and (B) roof, stage 36, DZSJRP 908.1; R. arenarum (C) floor and (D) roof, stage 38, MNRJ 44936; R. crucifer (E) floor and (F) roof, stage 35, UFBA 0107. IP, infralabial papillae; LP, lingual papillae; BP, buccal pocket; BFA, buccal floor arena; BFAP, buccal floor arena papillae; VV, ventral velum; PRA, prenarial arena; CH, choanae; POA, postnarial arena; LRP, lateral ridge papillae; MR, median ridge; BRA, buccal roof arena; BRAP, buccal roof arena papillae; GZ, glandular zone; DV, dorsal velum.