Hyloscirtus princecharlesi

Coloma, Luis A., Carvajal-Endara, Sofía, Dueñas, Juan F., Paredes-Recalde, Arturo, Morales-Mite, Manuel, Almeida-Reinoso, Diego, Tapia, Elicio E., Hutter, Carl R., Toral, Eduardo & Guayasamin, Juan M., 2012, 3364, Zootaxa 3364, pp. 1-78 : 42-43

Hyloscirtus princecharlesi

Description. The oral apparatus of an individual of series CJ 382 is depicted in Figure 15D. The following description is based on a single specimen in Stage 36 (CJ 385) collected in borderline between Reserva Cotacachi- Cayapas and private land owned by Manuel Quinchiguango, at Recinto San Antonio, Cuellaje, Provincia Imbabura, Ecuador (0º 28' 23.772" N, 78º 34' 12.756" W; 2794 m); obtained by Elicio E. Tapia, Carl R. Hutter, and Carlos Quinchiguango on 22 July 2011. Two tadpoles of the same series (CJ 381–382) are depicted in Figure 22. All values are given in millimeters. Total length 89.1; body length 28.4 (31.9% of total length). Body ovoid and depressed; body width at spiracle level 19.0, body height 13.2; head width at eye level 16.2; anterior margin of snout uniformly rounded in dorsal view and sloping at level of nares in lateral view; lateral-line system evident, showing supraorbital, infraorbital, posterior supraorbital, posterior infraorbital, longitudinal oral, anterior oral, angular, middle body, dorsal body, and ventral body lines. The arrangement is symmetrical. The longitudinal oral line arises at the lower end of the oral disc. The anterior oral line begins behind behind the oral disc, ventrally. Supraocular and infraocular lines start at the tip of the head and merge behind the eye. Dorsal body and middle body lines run perpendicularly on the posterior half of the body and merge dorsally at the spiracle insertion point. The angular line runs downward at level of the distal part of the eye, where it reaches the postsupraorbital line. The anterior oral line is continuous with the longitudinal oral and angular lines. The anterior oral line continues ventrally until it merges with the angular line, ventrolaterally. The ventral line surrounds the spiracle laterally and turns backward ventrally, running near the middle of the body on both sides. The nostrils are small, ovoid, not protruding and directed anterolaterally; opening 6.0 from tip of snout; internarial distance 6.7. Eyes positioned and directed dorsolaterally, eye length 3.0, eye width 2.9; interorbital distance 11.5. Spiracle sinistral, located at midbody level and oriented postero dorsally; inner wall attached to the body, except for distal half, which is free and rounded in shape; spiracle length 3.8, spiracle width at its base 2.6. Distance from tip of snout to spiracular opening 20.8. Vent tube medial, with opening directed posteriorly. Vent tube length 7.5, vent tube width 3.8. Tail length 62.4, caudal musculature robust, tapering gradually until tail terminus, which includes caudal fins; caudal fins low, rising near tail-body junction. Tail musculature height 10.6, tail musculature width 9.4 (both measured at tail-body junction). Dorsal fin height 5.2, ventral fin height 4.1, maximum tail height 10.6; fins height at midtail 15.7.

Oral disc located anteroventrally, emarginated twice ventrally; width of the oral disc 10.0, completely bordered by two rows of small rounded papillae, 271 in upper lip and 86 in lower lip; submarginal papillae absent, except for emargination zone where five submarginal papillae are present on each side. Upper jaw sheath forming an arch, transverse width, including lateral processes 3.6 (36.0% of width of oral disc), upper jaw sheath height 0.8; most of keratin cover was detached; lower jaw sheath V-shaped, and finely serrate at least at the middle level, keratin cover of both ends of the sheath detached, lower jaw sheath width 2.6, lower jaw sheath height 0.3.

Labial tooth row formula 8(8)/10, although some tooth rows were incomplete, particularly A1 which was poorly developed; A8 row interrupted medially by jaw sheaths, but several other unnatural breaks were observed, in all tooth rows, caused by labial tooth losses. Measures of labial tooth rows correspond to the straight line between the two ends of each row, which are bow-shaped. A1 tooth row 6.9 in length with 172 teeth; A2 tooth row 8.6 in length with 339 teeth; A3 tooth row 9.4 in length with 534 teeth; A4 tooth row 8.6 in length with 768 teeth; A5 tooth row 8.6 in length with 396 teeth; A6 tooth row 8.1 in length with 307 teeth; A7 tooth row 8.0 in length with 189 teeth; A8 right row 2.0 in length with 68 teeth; A8 left row 2.2 in length with 82 teeth; A8 gap 3.9 in length. P1 tooth row 5.8 in length with 159 teeth; P2 tooth row 6.4 in length with 250 teeth; P3 tooth row 6.6 in length with 249 teeth; P4 tooth row 6.7 in length with 248 teeth; P5 tooth row 6.9 in length with 317 teeth; P6 tooth row 6.4 in length with 155 teeth; P7 tooth row 6.9 in length with 384 teeth; P8 tooth row 6.4 in length with 275 teeth; P9 tooth row 6.5 in length with 249 teeth; P10 tooth row 5.7 in length with 48 teeth.

Color in preservative. In dorsal view, body grayish brown covered by minute dark brown flecks, with lighter areas in the temporal region and on the posterior half of the body. Tail light gray with cream areas distally, finely dotted in gray, myomeres insertion point demarcated by a dark line that runs backward to the middle of the body. In lateral view, flanks tan gray at spiracle level. The venter is lighter and translucent in the belly region, guts exposed. Fins translucent, with evident innervations and profusion of darker dotes, particularly notorious on the borders. Tail musculature dark gray, getting progressively lighter from mid body to tail terminus; a dorsal stripe is evident on dorsal border of tail musculature. Oral apparatus cream, covered with minute flecks on the border. Eyes are gray lavender.

Color in life. In dorsal view, body brown, spectacled with a suffusion of cream flecks, with tip of snout and distal part of the trunk lighter; the lateral line system is evident, in the form of a discontinuous line of cream dots. The spiracle and oral apparatus are cream and translucent. Dorsal fin cream. In lateral view, flanks are dark brown to translucent, covered by a suffusion of darker mottling. Caudal musculature is dark brown in the two proximal thirds of its extension, the distal third is creamy white, with several darker marks, of different sizes and shapes. Caudal fins are pale brown in coloration and translucent, with heavy innervations that are more evident near the tail-body junction. A dark brown longitudinal stripe is evident along the upper border of tail musculature, and a thinner one in the lower border of the distal portion of tail musculature. Anterior half of venter reddish brown, posterior half dark brown, both with profusion of cream dots and some dispersed melanophores; vent tube translucent; iris turquoise blue, with tiny white flecks and a green lavender annulus around pupil.

Considerable change in coloration occurred during ontogenetic development of lab reared Hyloscirtus princecharlesi ( Fig. 23). Between Stages 40–42, the hindlimbs developed from cream to greenish-gray, the dorsum became gray, and the flanks exhibited a gray-brown suffusion. By Stage 44, the entire dorsum and flanks became plain yellow-green, and hidden surfaces of both anterior and posterior limbs developed a contrasting black mottling pattern over a bright yellow background. Early juveniles are plain yellow-green and mottling increases on the flanks. The tips of the digits are dark gray. The iris is also dark gray.