Boophis ulftunni

Randrianiaina, Roger-Daniel, Raharivololoniaina, Liliane, Preuss, Claudia, Glaw, Frank, Teschke, Meike, Glos, Julian, Raminosoa, Noromalala & Vences, Miguel, 2009, Descriptions of the tadpoles of seven species of Malagasy treefrogs, genus Boophis, Zootaxa 2021, pp. 23-41 : 32-33

Boophis ulftunni

( Figures 6 and 8 )

The following description refers to one tadpole in developmental stage 25, ZSM 535/2008 (field number FGZC 2279) (TL 35 mm, BL 13.5 mm) from Camp Simpona in the Marojejy National Park. The 16S rDNA sequence of this specimen differed in 2 substitutions over an alignment of 497 bp from a reference sequence of an adult specimen from the same locality (accession EU252144 ).

In dorsal view, body ovoid, snout uniformly rounded. In lateral view, body depressed, BW 115% of BH, snout as a slope decreasing gradually up to the level of oral disk. Eyes of moderate size, ED 11% of BL, slightly bulging, not visible in ventral view, positioned dorsolaterally but directed almost laterally. Pineal ocellus present between eyes. Nares nearly oval, moderately-sized, rimmed with a flat mediodorsal projection positioned dorsolaterally, directed anterolaterally, closer to anterior edge of eyes than to tip of snout. RN 115% of NP, NN 52% of PP. Spiracle sinistral, inner wall free from body, well visible from dorsal view, spiracular opening oval, directed posterodorsally, the aperture is closer to vent than to snout, SS 57% of BL, situated below the longitudinal axis of tail musculature. Vent tube short, opening dextral at ventral edge of fin, medial vent tube with lateral displacement. Caudal musculature moderately strong, TMH 58% of BH and 64% of MTH, TMW 38% of BW, at mid-length of tail its height about 9/5 of the total tail height, reaching almost tail tip. Caudal fins shallow anteriorly, deepest at about midlength of tail, their height decreasing progressively up to tail tip, MTH 90% of BH; dorsal fin originating at the dorsal tail body junction and taller than ventral fin at mid-length of tail; tail tip bluntly pointed.

Oral disk of moderate size, ODW 26% of BL and 44% of BW, positioned and directed anteroventrally, emarginated. A single row of marginal papillae interrupted by a large gap on the upper labium (DG 55% of ODW) and a small medial gap on the lower labium; total number of marginal papillae 81 (39 on the left side, 42 on the right side). No submarginal papillae present. LTRF 1:2+2/1+1:2 after Dubois (1995) and 3(2–3)/ 3(1) after Altig & McDiarmid (1999). The density of keratodonts on A1 is about 60 per millimetre (total ca. 130). The length of interrupted anterior keratodont rows (A2 and A3) decreases gradually towards the center of the disk, P1 and P2 of about similar size, slightly longer than P3. Both jaw sheaths serrated; upper jaw with a large arch, convex medially and fully black pigmented; lower jaw sheath V- shaped and partially pigmented.

Coloration in preservative. Dorsally: body and tail musculature brownish, covered by scattered black spots. Some pigmentation concentrated forming one dark patch between eyes and one on mid-dorsal area of body. A dark line slightly visible mid-dorsally of body.

Laterally: intestinal coils well visible. Spiracle not pigmented. Body and caudal musculature covered by scattered dark patches. Musculature junctions slightly conspicuous anteriorly. Dorsal fin with sparse black dots. Ventral fin almost translucent. Ventrally: branchial and cardial region opaque through ventral body wall; intestinal coils well visible.

Variation: TL and BL of one further tadpole at stage 25 are 21 mm and 13 mm. The ratios are: BW 135% of BH, ED 8% of BL, RN 116% of NP, NN 48% of PP, SS 62% of BL, TMH 48% of BH, TMH 53% of MTH, TMW 36% of BW, MTH 91% of BH, ODW 27% of BL, ODW 42% of BW.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Drawings of preserved tadpole specimen of Boophis ulftunni from Marojejy National Park (developmental stage 25). (a) dorsal view; (b) lateral view; (c) oral disk. Not drawn to scale.

FIGURE 8. Photographs of the preserved DNA voucher specimens of six Boophis tadpoles described herein, in dorsal and lateral views.