Rohanixalus marginis ( Chan, Grismer, Anuar, Quah, Grismer, Wood, Muin, and Ahmad, 2011 ) Biju & Garg & Gokulakrishnan & Chandrakasan & Thammachoti & Ren & Gopika & Bisht & Hamidy & Shouche, 2020

Biju, S. D., Garg, Sonali, Gokulakrishnan, G., Chandrakasan, Sivaperuman, Thammachoti, Panupong, Ren, Jinlong, Gopika, C., Bisht, Karan, Hamidy, Amir & Shouche, Yogesh, 2020, New insights on the systematics and reproductive behaviour in tree frogs of the genus Feihyla, with description of a new related genus from Asia (Anura, Rhacophoridae), Zootaxa 4878 (1), pp. 1-55 : 40-41

Rohanixalus marginis ( Chan, Grismer, Anuar, Quah, Grismer, Wood, Muin, and Ahmad, 2011) comb. nov.

Malaysian Bubble-nest Frog

( Figs. 1–2 , 4 , 7 ; Tables 1 , 3 )

Original name and description. Chiromantis marginis Chan, Grismer, Anuar, Quah, Grismer, Wood, Muin, and Ahmad 2011 . Chan K. O., Grismer L.L., Anuar S., Quah E., Grismer J. L., Wood P. L. Jr., Muin M.A., and Ahmad N. 2011. A new species of Chiromantis Peters 1854 ( Anura : Rhacophoridae ) from Perlis State Park in extreme northern peninsular Malaysia with additional herpetofaunal records for the park. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 18: 253–259. Type. Holotype, LSUHC 9700, by original designation. Type locality. “from the dam behind Perlis State Park chalets, Perlis ”, Peninsular Malaysia. Current status of specific name. Valid name as Rohanixalus marginis ( Chan, Grismer, Anuar, Quah, Grismer, Wood, Muin, and Ahmad 2011) comb. nov.

Taxonomic remarks. This taxon was described based on a single specimen from Peninsular Malaysia. Although the species was originally assigned to genus Chiromantis (= Chirixalus ), it is morphologically closer to members of the genus Rohanixalus , primarily due to the following characters: prominent and dense minute speckles throughout the dorsum, lateral surfaces, and dorsal surface of limbs (vs. absent); and presence of light coloured dorsolateral stripes beginning from the snout tip, extending over the upper eyelid margins, and ending close to the vent on either side (vs. faint to prominent dorsal lines or absent). Further, the close relationship of R. marginis with R. hansenae , R. punctatus and R. vittatus was also originally suggested ( Chan et al. 2011). However, the comparison of R. marginis with R. punctatus is considered weak as the degree of prominence of dorsal spots and dorsolateral stripes is variable among R. punctatus individuals. Rohanixalus marginis is also morphologically close to R. baladika and R. nauli (see taxonomic remarks under R. baladika for detailed discussion). Hence, based on available evidence, we formally reallocate Chiromantis marginis Chan, Grismer, Anuar, Quah, Grismer, Wood, Muin, and Ahmad 2011 (= Chirixalus marginis ) to the genus Rohanixalus , as Rohanixalus marginis ( Chan, Grismer, Anuar, Quah, Grismer, Wood, Muin, and Ahmad 2011) comb. nov. Further molecular studies can clarify the relationship of R. marginis with other Rohanixalus members, especially R. punctatus , with which it could be closely related based on morphological and geographical considerations (see taxonomic remarks under R. punctatus for further discussion).

Diagnosis. Small-sized adults (male SVL 23 mm) with slender body; tympanum indistinct, vomerine teeth absent; dorsal colouration greyish-white; the entire dorsum, lateral surfaces, and dorsal surface of limbs covered with fine dark brown speckles, some speckles clumping together to form dark irregular blotches or reticulation on the dorsum; a pair of narrow continuous dorsolateral stripes starting from the snout tip, extending over the eyes, and ending close to the vent on either side; webbing absent between fingers I, II, and III, basal webbing present between fingers III and IV; foot webbing moderate, up to the second subarticular tubercle on either side of toe IV.

Distribution. Rohanixalus marginis is currently known only from its type locality, Perlis State Park in Peninsular Malaysia.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Maximum Likelihood tree showing phylogenetic relationships among 124 representative taxa from all recognised genera of the subfamily Rhacophorinae. Relationships are inferred based on 1,937 bp of mitochondrial (12SrRNA, tRNAVAL, 16SrRNA) and nuclear (RHO and RAG1) genes. Numbers above and below the branches indicate Bayesian Posterior Probabilities and RAxML bootstrap support values, respectively.

FIGURE 2. A–B. DNA Barcoding based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences: A. genus Feihyla; B. genus Rohanixalus gen. nov.; C. distribution of the new genus Rohanixalus. Images represent the corresponding species and their broad geographical ranges.

FIGURE 4. Distribution of genetically confirmed records of all known Feihyla and Rohanixalus members (indicated by circles) and their respective type localities (indicated by triangles). Numbers corresponding to each species are indicated alongside the distribution spots.

FIGURE 7. Members of the genus Rohanixalus. A. Dorsolateral view of R. hansenae from the type locality, Nong Khor, Thailand; B. dorsolateral view of R. marginis (holotype) from Perlis State Park chalets, Perlis, Peninsular Malaysia; C. dorsal view of R. cf. nauli, from Batang Gadis National Park, North Sumatra, Indonesia with a jelly-nest; D. dorsolateral view of R. cf. nauli, from Batang Gadis National Park, North Sumatra, Indonesia; E. dorsolateral view of R. cf. nauli, from Bukit Barisan Forest Park, North Sumatra, Indonesia; F. dorsolateral view of R. punctatus (Paratype, JBS 9274) from Gwa, Rakhine State, Myanmar (CC Public domain 3.0; AmphibiaWeb); G. dorsolateral view of R. vittatus from Rangat, Middle Andaman Islands, India; H. dorsolateral view of R. senapatiensis from Manipur, India; I. dorsolateral view of R. shyamrupus from Namdapha, Arunachal Pradesh.