Boophis andreonei Glaw & Vences

Glos, Julian & Vences, Miguel, 2010, Description of ten tadpoles in the genus Boophis from Madagascar, Zootaxa 2694, pp. 1-25 : 4-5

Boophis andreonei Glaw & Vences

The following description refers to one tadpole in developmental stage 35 (ZSM 0623/2008, field number FGZC 2907, TL 40.5 mm, BL 13.6 mm; Table 1 ), from Marojejy National Park. The 16S rDNA sequence of this specimen was 99.6 % identical to a reference sequence of an adult specimen of B. andreonei (accession AY848450 ) from Tsaratanana.

In dorsal view, body elliptical, maximal width at midbody (SBW 51% of BL), rounded snout. In lateral view, body depressed (BW 123% of BH), maximal body height attained between the 1/2 and 3/4 of the body (SBH 71% of BL), rounded snout. Eyes large (ED 18% of BL), not visible from ventral view, positioned dorsally and oriented laterally, situated between the 3/10 and 4/10 of the body, wide distance between eyes (IOD 69% of BW). Moderately large elliptical nares (NS 3% BL), marked with marginal rim, positioned dorsally and oriented anterodorsally, situated nearer to eye than to snout (RN 72% of NP), very wide distance between nares ( IND 83% of IOD), black spot on the back of the nare present, ornamentation absent. Long sinistral spiracle (SP 21% of BL), directed posteriorly, visible from dorsal and ventral views and obvious from lateral view, inner wall free from body and aperture opens laterally instead of posteriorly, round opening, situated between the proximal 1/2 and 3/4 of the body (SS 69% of BL), located below the level of the point where the axis of the tail myotomes contact the body. Very long medial vent tube (VL 16% of BL) with lateral displacement, attached to ventral fin. Tail of moderate length (TAL 184% of BL), maximal tail height higher than body height (MTH 102% of BH), tail height at midtail as high as body height and maximal tail height (THM 100% of BH and THM 97% of MTH), tail height at the beginning of the tail lower than body height (TH 84% of BH). Moderately developed caudal musculature (TMW 52% of BW, TMH 61% of BH and 60% of MTH, TMHM 45% of THM and 44 % of MTH). Tail muscle reaches tail tip. Very low fins (DF 73% of TMHM, VF 51% of TMHM), dorsal fin higher than ventral fin (DF 142% of VF). Dorsal fin originates on the dorsal body-tail junction, progresses almost parallel to the margin of the tail muscle up to the proximal 1/4 where it increases up to maximal tail height, then declines up to the tail tip. Ventral fin originates on the ventral terminus of the body, progresses parallel to the margin of the tail muscle up to the maximal tail height, then decreases to the tip of the tail. Maximal tail height located between the proximal 1/2 and 3/4 of the tail, lateral tail vein visible on the proximal 1/2 of the tail, myosepta visible all along the tail, tail tip narrowly rounded.

Oral disk of moderate size (ODW 56% of BW), positioned and oriented ventrally, not emarginated, maximal width in the middle. Oral disk not visible from dorsal view, upper labium is a continuation of snout. Single row of marginal papillae interrupted by a moderately wide dorsal gap (DG 56% of ODW), total number of marginal papillae 104. Twenty-two submarginal papillae (12 in the right and 10 in the left) positioned laterally. Moderately long conical papillae with protuberance, rounded tip, not visible from dorsal view, longest marginal and submarginal papillae measured 0.20 mm and 0.15 mm respectively. Jaw sheaths fully keratinized with rounded serrations, moderately wide (JL 41% of ODW) with very small medial convexity (MC 3% of JL). Lower jaw sheath U-shaped, partially hidden by the upper sheath. LTRF 6(4–6)/ 3(1). Single row of keratodonts per ridge. Wide A1 (62% of ODW). Density of keratodonts on A1 51/mm (total 143). Short,discernible keratodonts (0.18 mm). A6 is smaller than the others, keratodonts are distinguishable but their size decreases towards the periphery. Narrow space between marginal papillae and keratodont rows.

Coloration in preservative. Dorsally, body and tail brownish. Brownish spots of different forms distributed over the body, in particular between the eyes and around the nares. Dorsolaterally brownish body, ventrolaterally transparent, with some black round spots that are irregularly distributed. Laterally, the base of the tail musculature is whitish, with round brownish spots, some distributed irregularly in the caudal musculature and some forming stripes. Fins transparent. Ventrally, the intestine is visible.

Variation. Described on the basis of 53 tadpoles at stages 24–41, among which are nine DNA voucher specimens ( Table 2 ), all from Marojejy (FGZC 2234, 2239, 2246, 2247, 2904, 2907, 2910, 2919). All specimens are in the UADBA collection. TL and BL 16–46 mm and 4–16 mm. BW 93–161% of BH; ED 12– 19% of BL; RN 23–100% of NP; IND 35–61% of IOD; SS 46–81% of BL; TMH 48–100% of MTH; TMW 29–57% of BW; MTH 41–116% of BH; ODW 37–59% of BW. LTRF 5(2–5)/3, 3(2–3)/3, 4(2–4)/3.