Trachycephalus resinifictrix (Goeldi, 1907)

Schiesari, Luis, Rossa-Feres, Denise De Cerqueira, Menin, Marcelo & Hödl, Walter, 2022, Tadpoles of Central Amazonia (Amphibia: Anura), Zootaxa 5223 (1), pp. 1-149 : 81-82

Trachycephalus resinifictrix

External morphology. Description based on five tadpoles between Stages 34 and 37 (LCS 347, 357, 377, 378). Total length 34.7 ± 2.3 mm (N = 5). Body elongate oval in dorsal view and triangular in lateral view ( Fig. 50A, B ). Snout pointed in dorsal view and rounded in lateral view. Eyes medium-sized, laterally positioned and laterally directed. Nostrils small, circular, dorsolaterally positioned in an intermediate distance between the eyes and the snout, with opening anterolaterally directed, without a projection on the marginal rim. Oral disc ( Fig. 50C ) anteroventral, ventrolaterally emarginate; marginal papillae conical, uniseriate alternate and biseriate lateroanteriorly with a dorsal gap. Submarginal papillae present laterally. LTRF 2(2)/3 or 2(2)/4; A1 and A2 of the same length; P2 to P4 slightly shorter than the anterior one. Anterior jaw sheath wider than posterior jaw sheath, both finely serrated; anterior jaw sheath arch-shaped, posterior jaw sheath U-shaped. Spiracle single, lateroventral, conical, short and wide, posterodorsally directed, opening in the medial third of the body, with the centripetal wall fused to the body wall and longer than the external wall. Vent tube medial, fused to the ventral fin, with a dextral opening. Caudal musculature of moderate width; in lateral view gradually tapering to a pointed tip. Dorsal fin of moderate height, originating at the posterior third of the body, convex; ventral fin of moderate height and convex. Tail tip pointed. Lateral lines visible.

Colour. In preservative body and caudal musculature brownish, with tail slightly lighter; fins brown with many melanophores constituting a reticulate pattern along all area of fins, except for the first third of ventral fin. In life body light to dark olive, sometimes with black dots; venter silver; fins transparent (Hero 1990; pers. obs.).

Variation. LTRF 2(2)/3 or 2(2)/4 at Stages 26–31, 34 and 39; 2(2)/5 at Stage 32.

Metamorphs. Dorsum dark brown with large silvery white spots; light brown triangular mark between the eyes; legs and arms with darker brown bars; iris golden with a black Maltese cross centered on the pupil (based on photo and description by Lima et al. 2012).

Natural history. Eggs and tadpoles in large, spacious (5.8–90 L) tree holes up to 32 m high in terra-firme forests. Eggs are deposited in water and consist of a gelatinous egg mass that primarily floats on or near the surface but often adheres to the inner wall of the tree hole. Clutches contain from 106 to 1,540 pigmented eggs (Schiesari et al. 2003a). Tadpoles are found during the rainy season. Tadpoles feed on detritus and conspecifIc fertilized eggs (Schiesari et al. 2003a).

Comments. Tadpoles of T. resinifictrix from Central Amazonia were illustrated by Hero (1990) and they differ from those herein characterized by presenting oral disc without emarginations, LTRF 2(2)/3-5, and the second posterior tooth row remarkedly shorter than the others. Tadpoles from Panguana, Peru ( Grillitsch 1992) differ from those herein characterized by presenting marginal papillae arranged mostly alternating, in one to three row and posterior jaw sheath V-shaped. Tadpoles from Central Amazonia described by Schiesari et al. (1996) differ from those herein characterized only by presenting rounded snout in lateral view.

Figures

FIGURE 50. Tadpole of Trachycephalus resinifictrix (LCS 377-10) at Stage 37: (A) lateral view, (B) dorsal view (scale = 10 mm), and (C) oral disc (scale = 1 mm).