Mantidactylus charlotteae, VENCES & GLAW, 2004

Grosjean, Stéphane, STRAUss, Axel, Glos, Julian, Randrianiaina, Roger-Daniel, Ohler, Annemarie & Vences, Miguel, 2011, Morphological and ecological uniformity in the funnel-mouthed tadpoles of Malagasy litter frogs, subgenus Chonomantis, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 162 (1), pp. 149-183 : 166

MANTIDACTYLUS CHARLOTTEAE VENCES & GLAW, 2004

The tadpoles reported here have been already described by Blommers-Schlösser (1979) under the name M. albofrenatus (see Vences & Glaw, 2004), and reported again in Blommers-Schlösser & Blanc (1991) and Glaw & Vences (1992, 1994). They have no obvious diagnostic characters compared to tadpoles of other Chonomantis species, except for some subtle details of uncertain diagnostic value, and except for M. aerumnalis and M. sp. 59, which can be distinguished by, respectively, their coloration and by the presence of rudimentary keratodonts (see accounts on these species for details).

The description of external morphology is based on two specimens in stages 25 and 26, ZMA 7044 (TL 23.7 and 28.6 mm, BL 7.9 and 9.0 mm). These specimens were collected by Blommers-Schlösser at Foulpointe (the type locality of this species) on 13.x.1971, and their identification is not based on DNA barcoding. Specimens were in a very bad state of preservation, and thus no measurements were taken except TL and BL.

External morphology: In dorsal view, body elliptical or ovoid elongate. Eyes slightly visible in ventral view. Nares round, moderately large, positioned almost dorsally and directed more anteriorly than anterolaterally. Spiracle a short, flat tube, moderately small, orientated from posterodorsally to almost posteriorly; spiracular opening round, lateral. Tail musculature moderately strong, more or less gradually tapering, reaching almost tail tip. First half of upper fin shallow, tail tip rounded. Anal tube moderately small, a short tube, directed more ventrally than ventrolaterally, linked to ventral tail fin except its tip. Lateral line organs present on snout and until behind eyes. Coloration in preservative: Anterior third of upper side of body brown, posterior two thirds more or less covered by brown pigment; pigment-free parts transparent, through which internal organs are visible. Extension of caudal muscle on back yellow-beige more or less densely covered with brown pigments. Flanks transparent, some covered with brown dots grouped together to form blotches. Ventral side transparent unpatterned or with some brown dots regularly spread over branchial area. Caudal muscle uniformly yellow-beige laterally or slightly punctuate with small brown dots anteriorly. Fins translucent, except anterior part of upper fin covered with diffuse brown blotches.