Rhacophorus bipunctatus, Ahl, 1927

Raj, Prudhvi & Lalremsanga, Hmar Tlawmte, 2022, Larval descriptions of Rhacophorus bipunctatus and Xenophrys serchhipii from Northeast India, Zootaxa 5092 (4), pp. 493-500 : 494

Rhacophorus bipunctatus

Larval description. The description is based on tadpoles at Gosner Stage 35 (n = 1; Fig. 1 ). Body ovoid in both lateral and dorsal views; dorsally, body mostly flattened and medially depressed; slightly concave on the ventral side; body length 33% of total length; snout rounded both in dorsal and lateral view. Eyes positioned and oriented dorsolateral. External nares placed equidistant from snout and eye; narial openings oval with the margin slightly elevated and no ornamentation; inter-nostril distance 57% of inter-orbital distance. Spiracle dextral opening posterolaterally, positioned midway along the body length and on the lower side of lateral mid-body; inner wall present and attached to the body wall. Vent tube short and opened on the dextral side. Tail length about 67% of the total length; shape lanceolate; tail musculature width moderate with the broadest width about 36% of the maximum body width; height broadest at body tail junction tapering to the tail tip; dorsal fin taller than the ventral fin and both fins tapering posteriorly to a pointed tail tip. Origin of the dorsal fin at body tail junction and the ventral fin at ventral terminus; the greatest tail height is about mid length. Oral disc anteroventrally located and emarginated ( Fig. 1D ); oral disc width 38% of maximum body width; marginal papillae restricted to the lateral corners and the lower labium, with wide gap on the upper labium; marginal papillae in double row; small submarginal papillae only in commissures. Labial tooth row formula (LTRF) 6(3–6)/3(1); lengths of the labial teeth rows are A1=A2=P1=P2=P3>A3>A4>A5>A6. Upper jaw sheath as a broad arc with a wide medial portion and narrow lateral corners; lower jaw sheath V-shaped with a wide median region and thin lateral corners; keratinization strong and margins uniformly serrated. In preservative, dorsal body olive with no blotches; gular, abdominal and lateral body region translucent and immaculate; gut coils visible; caudal region immaculate and tail fins opaque; tail musculature and fins subtly mottled with brown spots.

Buccopharyngeal morphology (Stage 38). Buccal roof diamond shaped ( Fig. 2A ); prenarial arena with spherical grouped protuberances arranged in a T-shape. Internal nares elliptical and oriented at 90° of the transversal plan; narial projections present near the inner ends and extended anteromedially. A pair of elongated papillae arranged in the postnarial arena. Median ridge semicircular with irregular margin and 1–2 protrusions on its frontal edge. Lateral ridge papilla on each side of median ridge, with irregular, postulate margin. Some tiny papillae distributed in the roof arena among disperse pustulations. Buccal roof arena delineated by seven pairs of buccal roof arena papillae; few small pustulations scattered randomly in the buccal roof arena. Narrow glandular zone along the posterior portion of the buccal roof; dorsal velum smooth and continuous. Buccal floor triangular ( Fig. 2B ). Prelingual area of the buccal floor composed of four pairs of infralabial papillae located along the corner and medial region of the area; two at the anterolateral corner, the third at the posterolateral corner and the fourth pair of pustulate tubular papillae located postero-medially between the two posterior pairs. The third pair includes bifurcate papillae. Tongue anlage round, with two pustulate lingual papillae placed medially. Buccal floor arena surrounded by 12 buccal floor arena papillae on each side that are curved with pointed tips; buccal floor arena mostly smooth with about 12–14 pustulations placed irregularly on each side; buccal floor arena papillae start out lateral to the buccal pocket and continue along the postero-lateral area on each side of the arena. Buccal pockets are obliquely arranged. Ventral velum wide and sinuate; margin of the velum with four projections on each side. Glottis exposed, posterior to the ventral velum.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Tadpole of Rhacophorus bipunctatus (Stage 37); (A) Lateral view; (B) Dorsal view; (C) Ventral view (scale bar = 10 mm); (D) Oral disc (scale bar = 1 mm).

FIGURE 2. Buccopharyngeal cavity of Rhacophorus bipunctatus (Stage 38): (A) Buccal roof; (B) Buccal floor. BFA buccal floor arena, BFAP buccal floor arena papillae, BP buccal pockets, BRA buccal roof arena, BRAP buccal roof arena papillae, DV dorsal velum, G glottis, GF gill filters, GZ glandular zone, IP infralabial papillae, LJ lower jaw sheath, LP lingual papillae, LRP lateral ridge papillae, MR median ridge, PNA prenarial arena, PTNA postnarial arena, PTNP postnarial papillae, UJ upper jaw sheath, VV ventral velum.