Ctenophryne geayi, Mocquard, 1904

Schiesari, Luis, Rossa-Feres, Denise De Cerqueira, Menin, Marcelo & Hödl, Walter, 2022, Tadpoles of Central Amazonia (Amphibia: Anura), Zootaxa 5223 (1), pp. 1-149 : 98-99

Ctenophryne geayi

External morphology. Description based on three tadpoles at Stage 34 (CZPB-LA 337/783). Total length 15.3 ± 1.5 mm (N = 3). Body elongate oval in dorsal view and globular/depressed in lateral view ( Fig. 64A, B ). Snout rounded in dorsal view. Eyes positioned and directed laterally. Nostrils not perforated. Mouth terminal ( Fig. 64C ). Anterior lip narrow, fleshy, not covering the oral opening; posterior lip narrow, generally arched; oral opening Ushaped. Jaw sheaths, papillae, and tooth rows absent. Spiracle single, short and wide, positioned ventromedially; spiracular opening in the posterior third of the body. Vent tube medial, fused to the ventral fin, with a medial opening. Caudal musculature of moderate width; in lateral view gradually tapering to a pointed tip. Dorsal fin shallow, originating on the posterior third of the body; ventral fin shallow, both parallel to the ventral margin of caudal musculature. Tail with flagellum.

Colour. In preservative body and caudal musculature with dark melanophores, venter whitish with scattered melanophores on the anterior part; fins translucent. In life body transparent; tail orange with black margins (according to Menin et al. 2011b this species was erroneously identified as Chiasmocleis cf. shudikarensis in Hero 1990).

Natural history. Clutches contain from 520 to 610 eggs (Schļter & Salas 1991; Lima et al. 2012). Eggs are deposited in shallow depressions near ponds (Schļter & Salas 1991; Lima et al. 2012); tadpoles are found in isolated temporary ponds in terra-firme forests.

Comments. Tadpoles of C. geayi from Peru were described by Schļter & Salas (1991) and by Duellman (2005). Tadpoles from Panguana Biological Research Station differ from those herein characterized by presenting body depressed (although Fig. 6 shows a tadpole with a globular body in lateral view), dorsal fin not extending onto body, and tail tip rounded (Schļter & Salas 1991). Tadpoles from the southeastern lowlands of Peru tentatively assigned to C. geayi , mostly because of the orange tail fins, differ from those herein characterized by presenting dorsal fin originating on the tail (or on the tail-body junction according to Fig. 13.11B ) and much higher dorsal and ventral fins (also in accordance to Figure 13.11B ; Duellman 2005).

Genus Elachistocleis . Only one species of Elachistocleis is found in the Central Amazon.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Tadpole of Anomaloglossus stepheni (LCS 707) at Stage 36: (A) lateral view, (B) dorsal view (scale = 10 mm), and (C) oral disc (scale = 1 mm).

FIGURE 13. Tadpole of Ceratophrys cornuta (MNRJ s/n) at Stage 38: (A) lateral view, (B) dorsal view (scale = 10 mm), and (C) oral disc (scale = 1 mm).

FIGURE 64. Tadpole of Ctenophryne geayi (CZPB 337/783) at Stage 34: (A) lateral view, (B) dorsal view (scale = 10 mm), and (C) mouthparts (scale = 1 mm).