Hymenochirus boettgeri (Tornier, 1986)

Hymenochirus boettgeri camerunensis Perret and Mertens, 1957

TYPE LOCALITY.— “Foulassi”, 6 km northwest of Sangmelima, Cameroon .

DISTRIBUTION.— This species is known from southern Cameroon at Foulassi, Bibundi, Nkongsamba (Perret and Mertens 1957) and Kribi (Noble 1924), Republic Democratic of Congo at Bonguma (Perret 1966) and Equatorial Guinea, where it has been recorded in Benito (= Uoro) River (Boulenger 1899b) and in Monte Alén (Lasso et al. 2002) (Map 23B).

COMMENTS.— In spite of the low current taxonomic diversity of the genus, formed by only four species, the phylogenetic relationships between them remain unknown. A comprehensive systematic and taxonomic work on this genus is needed and should incorporate molecular data, including samples from the type locality of each species. Currently, there are two subspecies of H. boettgeri: H. b. boettgeri, widespread from north-central and eastern Cameroon to northeastern Republic Democratic of Congo, and H. b. camerunensis Perret and Mertens, 1957, that occurs from southern Cameroon to the lowlands of the Congo Basin.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED.— Six specimens. Miboman, Bata, 01 September 1984 (EBD 18325, 18335) ; Río Bizingui, 1986 (EBD 25039) ; Miboman, Bata, Movo (EBD 18305) ; Arroyo Lobo, Poblado de Muga, Mirador de Moka, Monte Alén, 20 August 2001 (MNCN 46335) ; Poblado de Muga, Mirador de Moka, Monte Alén, 22 August 2001 (MNCN 46339) .