Boophis roseipalmatus

Glos, Julian & Vences, Miguel, 2010, Description of ten tadpoles in the genus Boophis from Madagascar, Zootaxa 2694, pp. 1-25 : 17-19

Boophis roseipalmatus

The following description refers to one tadpole in developmental stage 30 (ZSM 628/2008, field number FGZC 2935, TL 29.4 mm, BL 11.0 mm; Table 1 ), from Marojejy National Park. The 16S rDNA sequence of this specimen was 99.8 % identical to a reference sequence of an adult Boophis roseipalmatus (accession AY848577 ) from Montagne d’Ambre.

In dorsal view, body elliptical, maximal width between the proximal 1/4 and 1/2 of the body (SBW 45% of BL), rounded snout. In lateral view, body depressed (BW 129% of BH), maximal body height between the proximal 1/2 and 3/4 of the body (SBH 71% of BL), rounded snout. Eyes large (ED 14% of BL), not visible from ventral view, positioned dorsally and oriented laterally, situated between the proximal 3/10 and 4/10 of the body, wide distance between eyes (IOD 67% of BW). Moderately large elliptical nares (NS 4% of BL), marked with marginal rim, positioned dorsally and oriented anterolaterally, situated nearer to snout than to eye (RN 61% of NP), moderately wide distance between nares ( IND 47% of IOD), black spot on the back of the nare present, ornamentation absent. Moderately long sinistral spiracle (SP 12% of BL), directed posteriorly, visible from dorsal and ventral views and perceptible from lateral view, inner wall free from body and aperture opens posteriorly, elliptical opening, situated between the proximal 1/2 and 3/4 of the body (SS 60% of BL), located below the level of the point where the axis of the tail myotomes contact the body. Long dextral vent tube (VL 10% of BL) attached to the ventral fin. Tail of moderate length (TAL 153% of BL), maximal tail height as high as body height (MTH 100% of BH), tail height at midtail lower than body height and maximal tail height (THM 91% of BH and THM 91% of MTH), tail height at the beginning of the tail lower than body height (TH 89% of BH). Moderately developed caudal musculature (TMW 49% of BW, TMH 69% of BH and 69% of MTH, TMHM 48% of THM and 44 % of MTH). Tail muscle reaches tail tip. Very low fins (DF 51% of TMHM, VF 57% of TMHM), dorsal fin lower than ventral fin (DF 90% of VF). Dorsal fin originates on the proximal 1/4 of the tail, progresses to attain the maximal tail height, and then declines up to the tail tip. Ventral fin originates on the ventral terminus of the body, increases up to the maximal tail height, then decreases to the tip of the tail. Maximal tail height located between the proximal 1/4 and 1/2 of the tail, lateral tail vein visible on the proximal 1/2 of the tail, myosepta visible all along the tail, tail tip narrowly rounded.

Oral disk of moderate size (ODW 47% of BW), positioned and oriented ventrally, emarginated, maximal width in the upper labium. Oral disk not visible from dorsal view, upper labium is a continuation of snout. Single row of marginal papillae interrupted by moderately wide dorsal gap (DG 65% of ODW), ventral gap absent, total number of marginal papillae 72. Nine submarginal papillae (3 in the right and 6 in the left) positioned laterally. Moderately long conical papillae, rounded tip, not visible from dorsal view, longest marginal and submarginal papillae measured 0.10 mm. Upper jaw sheaths fully keratinized with rounded serrations, wide (JL 61% of ODW) with very small medial convexity (MC 1% of JL). Lower jaw V-shaped; with three different colors, the 1/3 of the margin is black, the 1/ 3 in the middle is brown and the 1/3 of the basis is white. LTRF 6(2–6)/3(1). Single row of keratodonts per ridge. Very wide A1 (76% of ODW). Density of keratodonts on A1 79/mm (total 188). Short, discernible keratodonts (0.10 mm). Keratodont size variable, generally smaller at the margins. Narrow space between marginal papillae and keratodont rows.

Coloration in preservative. Dorsally, body and tail brownish, with irregularly distributed pigmentation of different forms. Dark spot on the nostril and in the front of the eyes. Dorsolaterally, coloration is equal to dorsal coloration, ventrolaterally, coloration is equal to ventral coloration, and the area below the eye is transparent. The muscle is white with many differently shaped spots that are irregularly distributed. The density of the spots decreases towards the tail tip. Fins generally transparent, dorsal fin with some spots. Ventrally the body is transparent and the intestinal coil is visible.

Variation. Based on 18 tadpoles at stages 25–36, from Marojejy National Park (FGZC 2935, 2939, 2943 and 2947), of which three are voucher specimens ( Table 5 ). All the specimens are deposited in the UADBA collection. TL and BL are 24–36 mm and 9–15 mm, respectively. BW 81–139% of BH; ED 11–17% of BL; RN 60–100% of NP; IND 31–48% of IOD; SS 42–72% of BL; TMH 56–145% of MTH; TMW 36–56% of BW; MTH 55–113% of BH; ODW 37–72% of BW. LTRF 4(2–4)/3(1), 5(2–5)/3(1), 6(2–6)/3(1).

Tables

TABLE 5. Morphometric measurements (all in mm) of additional DNA voucher specimens of Boophis axelmeyeri and B. roseipalmatus. For abbreviations, see Material and Methods.

Species Field number	B. axelmeyeri FGZC 2933	B. axelmeyeri FGZC 2931	B.axelmeyeri FGZC 2932	B. roseipalmatus FGZC 2939	B. roseipalmatus FGZC 2943	B. roseipalmatus FGZC 2947
BL BW	12.7 7.2	12.7 7.0	14.0 8.0	12.2 6.7	13.0 8.0	10.5 8.2
BH	5.5	5.7	6.2	5.3	6.2	6.3
ED RN	1.8 1.7	1.5 2.0	2.0 1.7	1.8 1.7	1.8 2.0	1.8 1.8
NP	2.3	2.7	2.5	2.0	2.5	2.5
IND IOD	2.7 4.7	2.8 5.0	2.8 4.8	2.2 4.5	2.5 5.3	2.3 5.0
SS	6.5	8.3	6.7	5.7	8.7	5.2
TMH TMW	4.5 3.7	4.0 3.7	4.7 4.2	3.3 3.3	4.0 3.3	3.5 3.0
MTH	6.2	4.3	6.7	5.3	4.0	3.5
BH TAL	5.5 21.8	5.7 22.0	6.2 24.3	5.3 19.0	6.2 21.0	6.3 23.0
ODW	2.7	2.5	3.2	3.2	3.3	3.0