Ichthyophis singaporensis Taylor, 1960

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P., 2023, Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution, Zootaxa 5287 (1), pp. 1-378 : 23-24

Ichthyophis singaporensis Taylor, 1960 — Native; Indeterminate.

Ichthyophis singaporensis Taylor, 1960: 55–58 , figs. 5, 6. Holotype: BMNH 1959.1.2.43, by original designation. Type locality: “Singapore”.

Singapore Caecilian (Not figured. No photos of a live I. singaporensis exist.)

Singapore records.

Ichthyophis glutinosus Var ?— Cantor, 1847c: 1058 (“Montgomerie’s garden”).

Ichthyophis glutinosus — Hooker, 1854: 26.

Epicrium monochroum (non-Bleeker, 1858)— Ģnther, 1864: xxvii, 443.

Ichthyophis monochrous (non-Bleeker, 1858)— Boulenger, 1882a: 91.— Boulenger, 1890a: 517.— Flower, 1896: 914.—A.L. Butler, 1904: 402.— Hanitsch, 1905: 23.—Hanitsch, 1908: 49.— Boulenger, 1912: 286.— Kampen, 1923: 3.— Bourret, 1942: 139.

Icthyophis [sic] singaporensis —Ng, Chou & Yang, 1988b: 37.

Ichthyophis singaporensis Taylor, 1960: 55 .—Taylor, 1968: 135.—P.K.L. Ng, 1989: 13.—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 56.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 143.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 93.— K.K.P. Lim, 1994: 209.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 1995: 111.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 20.— Iskandar & Colijn, 2000: 109.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 143.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 168.— D.C.J. Yeo et al., 2010: 152.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 257.—T.M. Leong, 2011: 20.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 168.—K.Y. Chong et al., 2013: 289.

Ichthyophis cf. singaporensis —K.K.P. Lim & C.M. Yang, 1991: 218.

Ichthyophis sp. (part)—T.M. Leong, 2000: 4.

Remarks. Remarkably, despite being Singapore’s rarest amphibian, being known only from the type-specimen ( Table 1 ), I. singaporensis was also the first amphibian recorded from Singapore. Ichthyophis singaporensis was first described as ‘ I. glutinosus Var ?’ by Cantor (1847c) who received the specimen from Montgomerie in 1843 when it was dug up from his garden. Hanitsch (1908) incorrectly listed the collection date as 1863. Cantor (1847c) found the specimen to differ from I. paucisulcus , but did not find conclusive data to designate it as a new species. Ichthyophis singaporensis was later described as a new species by Taylor (1960). Taylor (1968) included three specimens collected from Peninsular Malaysia as part of I. singaporensis . The specimens are from “ Selangor ”, Batu Gajah, and Kuala Kangsi. As of today, I. singaporensis is only known from these four specimens. No live photographs exist of I. singaporensis , but Taylor (1960) provides a radiographic image of the specimen.

Occurrence. Only known from type-specimen predating 1847. Likely extirpated.

Singapore conservation status. Not Evaluated.

Conservation priority. Immediate priority, if rediscovered.

IUCN conservation status. Data Deficient [2019].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH 1959.1 .2.43 (no date) [holotype] .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. No specimens.

Singapore localities. One unknown location.

Order Anura Fitzinger, 1843 (29 species)

Anura Fitzinger, 1843: 34 .

Family Bufonidae Gray, 1825 (3 species)

Bufonina Gray, 1825: 214 (type genus Bufo Laurenti, 1768 ).

Genus Duttaphrynus Frost, Grant, Faivovich, Bain, Haas, Haddad, de Sá, Channing, Wilkinson, Donnellan, Raxworthy, Campbell, Blotto, Moler, Drewes, Nussbaum, Lynch, Green & Wheeler, 2006 (1 species)

Duttaphrynus Frost, Grant, Faivovich, Bain, Haas, Haddad, de Sá, Channing, Wilkinson, Donnellan, Raxworthy, Campbell, Blotto, Moler, Drewes, Nussbaum, Lynch, Green & Wheeler, 2006: 219–220 (type species: Bufo melanostictus Schneider, 1799 , by original designation; gender masculine).