Cochranella amelie Cisneros-Heredia & Meza-Ramos

Cisneros-Heredia, Diego F. & Meza-Ramos, Pa Ú L, 2007, An enigmatic new species of Glassfrog (Amphibia: Anura: Centrolenidae) from the Amazonian Andean slopes of Ecuador, Zootaxa 1485, pp. 33-41 : 34-37

Cochranella amelie Cisneros-Heredia & Meza-Ramos , new species

Figure 1

Holotype.—DHMECN 3066 (field number PMR 073), adult male collected at Comunidad de Oglán, Cantón Arajuno, Provincia de Pastaza, República del Ecuador (01°18’65” S, 77°42’41” W, 600 m elevation), 28 July 2004 by Paủl Meza-Ramos and Fabricio Narváez.

Paratype.—DHMECN 3591 (field number PMR 072), adult male collected with the holotype.

Diagnosis. Cochranella amelie is a small centrolenid diagnosed from all other Glassfrogs by having: (1) vomerine teeth absent; (2) snout slightly truncate in dorsal view and rounded in lateral view; nostrils slightly elevated producing a depression in the internarial area; loreal region concave; (3) tympanic annulus evident, oriented dorsolaterally with posterior inclination; very weak supratympanic fold above the tympanum; (4) dorsal skin shagreened; (5) ventral and subanal area granular, with two large, rounded, flat subanal tubercles, other anal ornamentations absent; (6) parietal peritoneum completely clear/transparent (without white pigmentation/guanophores), all visceral peritonea covered by white pigmentation; (7) liver bulbous; (8) humeral spine absent in adult males; (9) webbing on hand, basal between finger I and II, outer fingers II 1 -–3 III 1 1/2– 1 IV; (10) webbing on feet I 1 -–1 1/2 II 1 -– 2- III 1–2- IV 2 -–0+ V; (11) low non-enameled ulnar fold; low nonenameled inner tarsal fold; (12) nuptial excrescences present, type-I; concealed prepollex; (13) first finger longer than second, (14) eye diameter larger than width of disc on finger III; (15) colour in life, uniform bluish green dorsal surfaces; (16) colour in preservative, uniform lavender dorsal surfaces; (17) iris coloration in life between dark to light grey; in preservative, cream background with dense lavender punctuations especially concentrated around the midline; (18) extensive melanophores on finger IV and toes IV and V; (19) males call from the upper surfaces of leaves; advertisement call unrecorded; (20) fighting behaviour unknown; (21) onelayer egg clutches deposited on the upper surfaces of leaves next to streams; (22) tadpoles unknown; (23) snout-vent length in adult males 18.1-18.3 (n = 2); females unknown.

Comparisons. Cochranella amelie differs from all species currently placed in Centrolene by lacking humeral spines in adult males. Further, most species of Centrolene have the parietal peritoneum totally or partially covered by white pigmentation, with the exception of Ce. mariaelenae . Centrolene mariaelenae differs from Cochranella amelie by having a green dorsum with many small dark punctuations and scattered larger dark spots in life that turns cream lavender with dark punctuations and spots in preservative.

Cochranella amelie differs from most species of Cochranella by having a completely transparent parietal peritoneum; only Co. pulverata and Co. antisthenesi are similar in this character. Cochranella pulverata differs by having a sloping snout in lateral view, vomerine teeth, enameled folds or tubercles on arms and tarsus, green dorsum with white spots in life, pale lavender to cream lavender dorsum in preservative, and a larger size (21.4–29.3 mm SVL in adult males Co. pulverata ; Savage 2002; Cisneros-Heredia et al. unpubl. data). Cochranella antisthenesi differs by having vomerine teeth, green dorsum with light spots, and a larger size (21.4–26.2 mm SVL in adult males Co. antisthenesi ; Señaris & Ayarzagüena 2005). Species related to Cochranella granulosa (= “ C. granulosa species-group”) resemble to Co. amelie in having guanophores over the visceral peritonea, but differ by having sloping snouts, crenulated dermal folds, vomerine teeth, and white parietal peritoneum. Other species of Cochranella having white visceral peritonea are Co. cariticommata , Co. wileyi , Co. ametarsia , Co. midas , and Co. oyampiensis . Cochranella amelie differs from all by having transparent parietal peritoneum; Cochranella cariticommata further differs by having a green dorsum with yellow dots in life that turns lavender with light dots in preservative, less hand and foot webbing, lacking guanophores on the hepatic and intestinal peritonea, and by its larger body size (22.4–23.5 mm SVL in adult male Co. cariticommata ; Wild 1994; Cisneros-Heredia & Yánez-Muñoz 2007). Cochranella wileyi differs by having less hand and foot webbing, lacking guanophores on the hepatic and intestinal peritonea, and by its larger body size (23.3–26.1 mm SVL in adult male Co. wileyi ; Guayasamin et al. 2006). Cochranella ametarsia differs by having a green dorsum with dark spots in life that turns lavender with dark spots in preservative, guanophores covering the anterior 1/4 parietal peritoneum, and by lacking guanophores on the hepatic peritonea.

Cochranella midas differs by having a green dorsum with yellow spots in life that turns lavender with light spots in preservative, guanophores covering the anterior 1/3 to 1/2 parietal peritoneum, and by lacking guanophores on the hepatic peritonea. Cochranella oyampiensis differs by having a green dorsum with dark spots in life that turns lavender with dark spots in preservative, and guanophores covering the anterior 1/4 parietal peritoneum.

Cochranella amelie differs from all species related to Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni (= “ Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni species-group”) by having a uniform green dorsum in life that turns lavender in preservative, by depositing its egg clutches on the upper surfaces of leaves; and from most species by having a type-I nuptial pad. Cochranella amelie differs from all species related to H. parvulum (= “ Hyalinobatrachium parvulum species-group”) by having a transparent urinary bladder, and lacking vomerine teeth.

Description of the holotype. Adult male, SVL = 18.3 mm. Body slender. Head distinct, wider than long, and wider than body; HW/HL = 1.14, HW/SVL = 0.36, HL/SVL = 0.32. Snout short, slightly truncate in dorsal view and rounded in lateral view, EN/HL = 0.28; nostrils slightly elevated producing a depression in the internarial area; loreal region concave; canthus rostralis rounded, fairly indistinct, a shallow platform between the canthus rostralis; lips slightly flared. Eyes large, ED/HL = 0.40, directed anterolaterally at about 48° from midline, eyes can be seen when viewed from below, interorbital area wider than eye diameter, IOD/ED = 1.61, EN/ED = 0.70, EN/IOD = 0.43. Tympanic annulus evident, oriented dorsolaterally with slight posterodorsal inclination; very weak supratympanic fold above the tympanum. Dentigerous processes of vomers absent, choanae moderately sized, elliptical, widely separated between them, very close to the margin of mouth; tongue oval, not indented posteriorly; vocal slits paired, extending from anterior base of tongue to angles of jaws.

Skin of dorsal surfaces finely shagreened, without warts, spicules, or tubercles; ventral surfaces granular. Cloacal opening directed posteriorly at upper level of thighs; no distinct cloacal sheath; a pair of large, oval, flat tubercles on ventral surfaces of tights below vent, other anal ornamentation absent, ventral/subanal skin granular but not enameled.

Upper arm thin, forearm robust, breadth of upper arm about half that of forearm. Humeral spine absent; low non-enameled ulnar fold present. Relative lengths of fingers III> IV> I> II; webbing basal between finger I and II, outer fingers II 1 -–3 III 1 1/2 – 1 IV; bulla absent; finger discs wide, between truncate to rounded; disc on third finger slightly larger than those on toes, and shorter than eye diameter, 3DW/ED = 0.52; subarticular tubercles rounded to oval but flat and almost indistinct, palmar surface granular; palmar tubercle large, rounded, flat; tenar tubercle elliptic. Concealed prepollex, unpigmented nuptial excrescences Type I present.

Hind limbs slender; TL/SVL = 0.61, FL/SVL = 0.48. Low non-enameled inner tarsal fold present; inner metatarsal tubercle elliptical, elongated; outer metatarsal tubercle indistinct. Subarticular tubercles rounded and flat; supernumerary tubercles indistinct. Webbing on foot I 1 -–1 1/2 II 1 -– 2- III 1–2- IV 2 -–0+ V; disc on toe I oval with a distinct globular point at the end, all other discs bluntly truncate without projections.

Coloration of holotype. In life, all dorsal surfaces bluish green (between cerulean green and viridian green), whitish upper lip, yellowish cream flanks, greenish throat, transparent ventral skin, all visceral peritonea covered by guanophores. Iris between dark to light grey, and black pupil with a yellow pupillary ring. Bones green.

In preservative, all dorsal surfaces uniform lavender, without dark or light flecks, spots, ocelli or other marks. Upper eyelid dark lavender. Venter transparent cream. Parietal peritoneum without guanophores. Guanophores covering the pericardium and most visceral peritonea (esophageal, stomach, intestinal, hepatic, and gallbladder), except for the urinary bladder and the renal capsule that are clear.

Variation. The adult male paratype is similar to the holotype in all diagnostic characters, including coloration. The only pertinent difference is the renal capsule in the paratype covered by guanophores. Variation of measurements is provided below.

Measurements. The measurements of the holotype and paratype (in parentheses) are: snout-vent length, 18.3 (18.1) mm; head width, 6.6 (6.6) mm; head length, 5.8 (5.7) mm; horizontal eye diameter, 2.3 (2,3) mm; inter-orbital distance, 3.7 (3.4) mm; eye-nostril distance, 1.6 (1.6) mm; internarial distance between the nostrils, 1.9 (1.7) mm; tympanum diameter, 0.7 (0.7) mm; width of disc on the third finger, 1.2 (1.1) mm; tibia length, 11.1 (11.1) mm; foot length, 8.7 (9.1) mm.

Etymology. The specific name—a noun in apposition—of this new species of Glassfrog is for Amelie , protagonist of the extraordinary movie “Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain”; a movie where little details play an important role in the achievement of joie de vivre; like the important role that Glassfrogs and all amphibians and reptiles play in the health of our planet.

Distribution and natural history. The two known specimens were collected on Heliconia leaves (ca. 0.8 m above floor) over a small affluent of the Oglán River, in primary forest. Both specimens were calling on the upper surface of leaves. The paratype (DHMECN 3591) was found next to a single-layer egg clutch deposited on the upper surface of a leaf. Other anurans found along the stream included Hypsiboas boans and Osteocephalus sp.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype of Cochranella amelie in life (DHMECN 3066), adult male, SVL = 18.3 mm.