Amazophrynella manaos

Schiesari, Luis, Rossa-Feres, Denise De Cerqueira, Menin, Marcelo & Hödl, Walter, 2022, Tadpoles of Central Amazonia (Amphibia: Anura), Zootaxa 5223 (1), pp. 1-149 : 28-29

Amazophrynella manaos

External morphology. Description based on thirteen tadpoles between Stages 32 and 38 (INPA 1594, MNRJ 7959). Total length 12.7 ± 0.5 mm (N = 4; tadpoles at Stages 36 and 37). Body oval in dorsal view and globular/depressed in lateral view ( Fig. 7A, B ). Snout truncate in both dorsal and lateral views. Eyes medium-sized, dorsally positioned and dorsolaterally directed. Nostrils medium-sized, oval, dorsally positioned between the eyes and the snout, with opening dorsally directed, without a projection on the marginal rim. Oral disc ( Fig. 7C ) anteroventral, non-emarginate; marginal papillae conical, uniseriate, with wide dorsal and ventral gaps. Submarginal papillae absent. LTRF 2/3; A1 and A2 of the same length; P1 and P2 of the same length, P3 slightly shorter than the others. Jaw sheaths narrow, finely serrated; anterior jaw sheath arch-shaped, posterior jaw sheath V-shaped. Spiracle single, sinistral, conical, short and wide, posteriorly directed, opening on the posterior 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 medial opening. Caudal musculature of moderate width; in lateral view gradually tapering to the pointed tip. Dorsal fin of moderate height, convex, originating at the tail-body junction; ventral fin of moderate heiht, convex. Tail tip rounded.

Colour. In preservative, body and caudal musculature light brown, fins translucent with melanophores forming a reticulate pattern. In life, body light brown with individual brown chromatophores to dark brown, caudal musculature pale brown, tail fins translucent.

Variation. LTRF variable at Stage 25 (1/2, 2/0, 2/1 or 2/3) ( Menin et al. 2014). After Stage 26, LTRF consistently 2/3.

Metamorphs. Dorsum dark brown; chest and limbs light brown; venter whitish-cream.

Natural history. Eggs are laid on roots above lentic water as two gelatinous strings totaling 70 to 250 eggs ( Lima et al. 2012). Tadpoles are found in small (usually <2 m 2) streamside ponds formed by rainfall or by stream flooding in terra-firme forests ( Menin et al. 2014). Tadpoles are found in most months of the year. Larvae are benthic and camouflaged against the substrate (this study). Larvae are exotrophic. In experiments tadpoles were found to be preyed upon by dragonfly larvae and fish ( Hero 1991).

Comments. Tadpoles from Central Amazonia drawn by Hero (1990; Plate 4) and those described by Menin et al. (2014) had no noticeable morphological variation relative to the ones herein characterized, except by the spiracle posteroventrally directed in Hero (1990).

Genus Atelopus . Only one species of Atelopus is found in Central Amazonia.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Tadpole of Amazophrynella manaos (INPA-H 1594) at Stage 37: (A) lateral view, (B) dorsal view (scale = 10 mm), and (C) oral disc (scale = 1 mm).