Boophis albilabris

Randrianiaina, Roger-Daniel, Raharivololoniaina, Liliane, Preuss, Claudia, Glaw, Frank, Teschke, Meike, Glos, Julian, Raminosoa, Noromalala & Vences, Miguel, 2009, Descriptions of the tadpoles of seven species of Malagasy treefrogs, genus Boophis, Zootaxa 2021, pp. 23-41 : 25-26

Boophis albilabris

( Figures 1 and 8 )

The following description refers to one tadpole in developmental stage 26 (field number FG/MV 2002.1916, ZSM 699/2004, TL 23.3 mm, BL 8.6 mm), from site “campsite 0” in the Special Reserve of Manongarivo. The 16S rDNA sequence of this specimen is 100% identical to a reference sequence of an adult specimen (Genbank accession AY848556 ) from the same locality.

In dorsal view, body ovoid, snout rounded. In lateral view, body depressed, BW 117% of BH. Eyes of moderate size, ED 11.6% of BL, not visible in ventral view, positioned dorsally and directed dorsolaterally, situated at about 1/3 of body length. Nares elliptical, moderately sized, prominent with marginal rim and dark black spots, positioned dorsally, oriented anterolaterally and nearer to snout than to eye. RN 74% of NP, NN 58% of PP. Spiracle sinistral, inner wall free and formed such that the aperture opens laterally instead of posteriorly, visible in dorsal view, spiracular opening elliptical, positioned laterally, directed dorsally, situated at the height of the longitudinal axis of caudal musculature and the aperture is much closer to the end of the body than to the snout, SS 61% of BL. Medial vent tube with lateral displacement, tubular, short. Caudal musculature moderately developed, TMH 52% of BH and 59% of MTH, TMW 36% of BW; its height 2/3 of total height at midlength of tail. Dorsal fin origins at the tail body junction, increases gradually to attain its maximum height, then declines abruptly towards the tail tip. Ventral fin origins at the ventral terminus of the body, decreases meticulously to the 1/3 of tail, then increases to attain the maximum height of the tail, and decreases gradually towards the tail tip. Tail tip pointed, MTH 89% of BH, lateral line visible only on proximal 1/6 of the tail. Oral disk of moderate size, ODW 25% of BL and 38% of BW, positioned ventrally, directed anteroventrally, emarginated. A single row of marginal papillae interrupted by a large gap on the upper labium (DG 72% of ODW) and a small medial gap on the lower labium; total number of marginal papillae 56 (28 on each side). 15 submarginal papillae positioned in the lateral parts of the anterior and posterior labium. Papillae of moderate size, round or conical with rounded tips. No denticulate papillae. LTRF 1:3+3/1+1:2 after Dubois (1995) and 4(2–4)/3(1) after Altig & McDiarmid (1999). The density of keratodonts on A1 is about 57 per millimeter (a total of ca. 100). The length of interrupted anterior keratodont rows (A2, A3 and A4) decreases gradually towards the center of the OD, P3 about 5/6 of P2. Both jaw sheaths coarsely serrated and completely black; upper jaw sheath with a large medial serration surrounded by a smaller one on each side, reversed U-shaped; lower jaw sheath V-shaped. Coloration in preservative. Dorsally: body and tail musculature whitish, covered with two types of spots. First, condensed spots, darkened in some parts. Second, large, generally round, irregularly distributed spots. Some concentrated pigmentation forming dark patches between eyes. Laterally: intestinal coils and spiracle well visible; caudal musculature whitish with large, round, black spots, irregularly distributed along the tail muscle. Spot density and size diminish towards tail tip. Fins translucent with a few black and round spots. Ventrally: the whole surface of ventral body translucent, including the branchial and cardial region that is well visible through the ventral integument which is regularly spiral-shaped.

Variation: TL and BL of 83 tadpoles at stages 25–39, from the Site Maromalo (FG/MV 2002.1905 – ZSM 680, 681, 682, 1021/2004; FG/MV 2002.1910 – ZSM 685, 686/2004; FG/MV 2002.1911 – ZSM 687, 688/2004; FG/MV 2002.1912 – ZSM 689, 690, 691, 1022/2004; FG/MV 1913 – ZSM 692, 693, 694, 1023/ 2004) and the campsite 0 (FG/MV 2002.1916 – ZSM 700, 701, 702, 1024/2004; FG/MV 2002.1922- ZSM 712, 713/2004; FG/MV 2002.1923- ZSM 714/2004; FG/MV 2002.1928 – ZSM 719, 720/2004) are 18–46 mm and 5–17 mm, respectively. BW 95–136% of BH; ED 9–18% of BL; RN 44–109% of NP; NN 48–143% of PP; SS 49–73% of BL; TMH 23–65% MTH; TMW 33–37% of BW; MTH 68–113% of BH; ODW 15–35% of BL; ODW 26–59% BW. LTRF: 1:3+3/1+1:2, 1:4+4/1+1:2, 1:5+5/1+1:2 after Dubois (1995) and 4(2–4)/3(1), 5(2–5)/3(1), 6(2–6)/3(1) after Altig & McDiarmid (1999).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Drawings of preserved tadpole specimen of Boophis albilabris (ZSM 699 / 2004) from Manongarivo Special Reserve (developmental stage 26). (a) dorsal view; (b) lateral view; (c) oral disk.

FIGURE 8. Photographs of the preserved DNA voucher specimens of six Boophis tadpoles described herein, in dorsal and lateral views.