Callulops fojaensis, Oliver, Paul, Richards, Stephen & Tjaturadi, Burhan, 2012

Oliver, Paul, Richards, Stephen & Tjaturadi, Burhan, 2012, Two new species of Callulops (Anura: Microhylidae) from montane forests in New Guinea, Zootaxa 3178, pp. 33-44 : 34-38

Callulops fojaensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1a – 2 a,b)

Holotype. MZB Amph. 11958 (field number SJR9875), adult male, calling when collected, “Bog Camp”, Foja Mountains, Papua Province, Indonesia (2 o34.5’S, 138 o 42.9’E, ~ 1600 m asl), collected by S. Richards and B. Tjaturadi on 25 November 2005.

Paratype. MZB Amph. 11957 (field number SJR 9915) adult male with same locality and collector details as the holotype, 30 November 2005.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from all congeners by the combination of moderate size (SVL of two males 51.9 and 53.0 mm), slightly enlarged digital discs on fingers and toes (less than twice width of penultimate phalanx), discs on toes wider than discs on fingers (3FD/4TD 0.76–0.79), indistinct terminal groove on finger I, hind limbs short (TL(knee)/SVL 0.34), snout truncate in dorsal aspect, hands and feet relatively short (HandL/SVL 0.22, FootL/ SVL 0.38), skin on dorsum and lateral surfaces relatively smooth, dorsal colouration uniform brown, ventral and lower lateral colouration uniform light brown without light mottling or flecking, and advertisement call consisting of 6–7 harsh, barking notes lasting a total of about 3 seconds, with a dominant frequency of 1306–1449 Hz.

Comparison with other species. Callulops fojaensis sp. nov. is readily distinguished from both species of Metamagnusia by its relatively narrow finger discs (distinctly less than twice width of penultimate phalanx), by having toe discs wider than finger discs (3FD/4TD 0.76–0.79), and by its uniform dark-brown dorsal pattern (vs obvious spotting or thick longitudinal striping on the back and sides) ( Günther 2009). It is readily distinguished from both species of Pseudocallulops by its much less expanded discs (less than twice width of penultimate phalanx), larger size (adult SVL> 41 mm) and uniform brown dorsal colouration (vs light brown with extensive darker brown spotting and blotching) ( Günther 2009).

The presence of slightly expanded digital discs distinguishes Callulops fojaensis sp. nov. from four species which completely lack expanded digital discs, namely C. glandulosus , C. sagittatus , C. stictogaster and C. wilhelmanus . Callulops boettgeri differs in its broadly expanded discs (disc on third finger approximately twice width of penultimate phalange) and having finger discs broader than toe discs.

Of the species that also possess moderately expanded digital discs, C. fojaensis sp. nov. differs from C. comptus , C. doriae , C. marmoratus and C. personatus in its uniform pale brown dorsal colouration (vs marbled, spotted or blotched with grey, dark brown or black), and it is also significantly smaller than C. doriae and C. personatus (SVL <55 mm vs> 65 mm). It further differs from C. comptus , C. fuscus , C. humicola and C. kopsteini by having a uniform light brown venter (vs boldly mottled with yellow and brown in C. comptus and C humicola , flecked with light grey or white in C. fuscus and C. kopsteini ). Callulops dubius , C. eremnosphax and the type series of the geographically distant C. fuscus , are significantly smaller (male SVL <40 mm), and the new species further differs from C. dubius in its much shorter legs (TL(fold)/SVL 0.32 vs 0.48). It differs from C. omnistriatus in being smaller (male SVL <53 vs 55.0– 59.6 mm) and in having shorter legs (TL(knee)/SVL) 0.34 vs 0.43–0.46).

Callulops fojaensis sp. nov. is most similar to C. robustus (and a number of other species currently synomynised within this nominal taxon). It differs from topotypic C. robustus from Misima island in its much smaller size (adult male SVL <53 mm v 60.6–64.9 mm) and smooth (vs rugose) dorsal and lateral skin; the type of C. kampeni was illustrated in Kraus and Allison (2009) and has a distinctly rounded snout in dorsal view (vs truncate); C. valvifera has yellow flecks and marbling over the body and limbs; and specimens from localities spanning northern New Guinea that are probably referable to C. microtis possess extensive light spotting laterally and on the legs, have slightly longer legs (TL(knee)/SVL 0.35–0.40 V 0.34) and lack a terminal groove on finger I.

Description of holotype. Body robust (measurements in Table 1), pear shaped, head wide (HW/SVL 0.34), broader than long (HL/HW 0.91) not distinct from body; nares closer to tip of snout than to eye, directed laterally. Internarial distance greater than distance from eye to nares (EN/IN 0.86), eyes large (EYE/SVL 0.11). Snout truncate in dorsal view and rounded in lateral view. Canthus rostralis rounded, loreal region nearly vertical and slightly concave, labial region near vertical, slightly inflated and convex. Tongue rounded, anterior palatal ridge long, smooth; posterior palatal ridge with approximately 15 distinct denticles. Mandibular symphysis forming a small hook at the tip of the lower jaw. Tympanum relatively indistinct, barely visible, annulus only slightly raised. Supratympanic fold moderately distinct, extending from posterior edge of eye across dorsal edge of tympanum, curving down around posterior edge of tympanum to approximately level with jaw, then curving dorsally and extending over dorsal edge of axilla. Dorsum, lateral surfaces and venter smooth.

Limbs short (TL(knee)/SVL 0.34) and robust. Hand short (HandL/SVL 0.22). Fingers unwebbed, with low, rounded and indistinct unpigmented subarticular tubercles; relative lengths 3>4>2≈1, tips with slightly expanded digital discs; terminal grooves present on all discs, though indistinct on digits 1 and 2; palm smooth except for three indistinct low metacarpal tubercles, largest and most distinct at base of finger 1.Foot short (FootL/SVL 0.38), toes unwebbed with low, rounded and indistinct unpigmented subarticular tubercles; relative lengths 4>3>5>2>1, terminal discs slightly expanded, with terminal grooves; heel smooth except for moderately large inner metatarsal tubercle at base of toe 1.

In preservative, dorsum, sides and exposed surfaces of limbs and digits relatively uniform medium brown, darkest on the head, becoming slightly lighter posteriorly and towards the tips of some fingers. Distinctive patches of off-white scar tissue are present on the hind limbs, and just posterior to the left eye. Venter light brown without obvious pattern, becoming much darker on throat and limbs, and lighter towards posterior of torso and tips of digits. Metacarpal pads unpigmented, lighter than brown palmar regions.

FIGURE 3. Oscillogram (top), power spectrum, (left) spectrogram (bottom) of a single call of A) Callulops mediodiscus sp. nov. (holotype, SAMA R66016) and B) Callulops fojaensis sp. nov. (holotype, MZB Amph. 11958) recorded at 18o C and 19o C respectively.

Variation. Summary measurements for the two types are presented in Table 1. The single paratype is very similar to the holotype in overall appearance, the only notable difference being that the limbs and ventral surfaces are slightly lighter brown and distinctive patches of off-white scar tissue are present on both tibiae.

Appearance in life. The following description is based on photographs of the holotype, MZB Amph ( Figure 1a ). 11958. Overall uniform pale brown; dorsal and lateral surfaces of head slightly darker than dorsal and lateral surfaces of torso; exposed surfaces of limbs moderately pale brown, forelimbs very slightly darker than hind limbs and torso; venter very pale, faintly mottled with brown, darker on throat. Iris dark reddish brown. The dorsal and lateral colouration of the paratype in life was the same as the holotype.

Advertisement call. The advertisement call is a series of loud, harsh barking notes uttered at long intervals. We recorded two full calls produced by the holotype (MZB 11958). These calls contained 6 and 7 notes lasting a total of 3.3 and 3.4 s. The 6-note call had a note repetition rate of 1.68/s and a dominant frequency of 1306 Hz while results for the 7-note call were 1.94/s and 1449 Hz respectively. Note length was 0.172– 0.271 s (mean = 0.225, SD = 0.032, n =13), number of pulses/note was 16–34 (mean = 28.69, SD = 5.69, n = 13) and pulse rate within notes was 84.74–140.42/s (mean = 123.59, SD = 14.96, n = 13). Internote intervals were 0.24– 0.51 s (mean = 0.33, SD = 0.07, n = 11). The 6-note call is illustrated in Figure 3B.

Etymology. The name is the masculine declension of the suffix referring to the Foja Mountains of Papua Province, Indonesian New Guinea, where the type series was collected.

Natural history and distribution. Callulops fojaensis sp. nov. is known only from wet mossy mid-montane forest at higher altitudes (~ 1600 m asl) in the Foja Mountains. Both males were located calling from burrows in the forest floor during the late afternoon. No other species of Callulops were collected at the type locality, but specimens that we tentatively refer to Callulops microtis (currently in the synonymy C. robustus ) were found at lower altitudes (up to 1250 m asl) on the southern slopes of the Foja Mountains.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Ventral view of hand (A) and foot (B) of Callulops fojaensis sp. nov. (holotype MZB Amph. 11958) and hand (C) and foot (D) of of Callulops mediodiscus sp. nov. (paratype SAMA R 66015). Scale bar = 5 mm.

FIGURE 1. A) Callulops fojaensis sp. nov. (holotype MZB Amph. 11958) in life. B) Callulops mediodiscus sp. nov. (paratype SAMA R 66014) in life. Photographs Stephen Richards.