Callimedusa tomopterna (Cope, 1868)

Schiesari, Luis, Rossa-Feres, Denise De Cerqueira, Menin, Marcelo & Hödl, Walter, 2022, Tadpoles of Central Amazonia (Amphibia: Anura), Zootaxa 5223 (1), pp. 1-149 : 102-103

Callimedusa tomopterna

External morphology. Description based on three tadpoles between Stages 35 and 39 (LCS 587, 615/2). Total length 50.8 ± 7.9 mm (N = 3). Body elongate oval in dorsal view and triangular in lateral view ( Fig. 68A, B ). Snout truncate in dorsal and lateral views. Eyes small, positioned and directed laterally. Nostrils small, oval, laterally positioned near to snout, with opening anterolaterally directed, without a projection on the marginal rim. Oral disc ( Fig. 68C ) anteroventral; marginal papillae conical, uniseriate, with a dorsal gap and a small ventral gap. Submarginal papillae present laterally. LTRF 2(2)/3(1); A1 and A2 of the same length; P1 longer than P2; P3 of about two third of the length of P2. Jaw sheaths moderately wide, finely serrated; anterior jaw sheath arch-shaped, posterior jaw sheath V-shaped. Spiracle single, ventrolateral, cylindrical, very short and wide, posteriorly directed, large opening at the medial third of the body, with the centripetal wall fused to the body wall and longer than the external wall. Vent tube dextral, fused to the ventral fin, with a dextral opening. Caudal musculature of moderate width; in lateral view gradually tapering to a pointed tip. Dorsal fin shallow throughout its length, highest posteriorly, originating at the tail-body junction; ventral fin of moderate height, convex. Tail tip pointed. Lateral lines visible.

Colour. In preservative body whitish or grayish brown; venter opaque; caudal musculature whitish cream; fins translucent with diffuse melanic pattern. In life body transparent olive or whitish with a silver venter; tail transparent or whitish with a diffuse orange patch midway along the lower fin (Hero 1990).

Variation. LTRF 2(2)/3 or 2(2)/3(1) at Stage 38.

Natural history. Eggs are deposited in a gelatinous mass in leaf nests overhanging isolated or streamside ponds in terra-firme forests; upon hatching tadpoles fall in the water ( Lima et al. 2012). Mean clutch size is 63 unpigmented eggs ( Neckel-Oliveira & Wachlevski 2004). Tadpoles are found in all months of the year. Tadpoles are nektonic. Eggs are preyed upon by phorid fly larvae and staphylinid beetles (Neckel-Oliveira 2004; Neckel-Oliveira & Wachlevski 2004). Tadpoles are preyed upon by Pipa arrabali ( Buchacher 1993) . In experiments tadpoles of C. tomopterna were consumed by dragonflies and fish ( Gascon 1989b, 1992a; Hero 1991).

Comments. Tadpoles of C. tomopterna were described by Duellman (1978) from Ecuador, by Hero (1990) from Central Amazonia and by Duellman (2005) from Peru. Tadpoles from Ecuador differ from those herein characterized only by the presence of biseriate marginal papillae row ( Duellman 1978). Those from Peru differ from those herein characterized by presenting s nout rounded in lateral view, oral disc terminal without emarginations, LTRF varying between 2(2)/3 (as tadpoles herein described) and 2(2-3)/3, and a single irregular row of marginal papillae (although Fig. 13.14B shows marginal papillae row uniseriate posteriorly and biseriate anterolaterally; Duellman 2005). No morphological difference was observed between the tadpoles herein characterized and those illustrated in Hero (1990) as Phyllomedusa tomopterna .

Genus Phyllomedusa . Tadpoles of genus Phyllomedusa found in the Central Amazonia share the following combination of morphological characteristics: moderate to large size; body elongated oval in dorsal view and depressed in lateral view; dorsal fin shallow, ventral fin high; oral disc anteroventral, ventrally emarginate; marginal papillae uniseriate with a dorsal gap; submarginal papillae present; LTRF 2(2)/3(1).

Figures

FIGURE 13. Tadpole of Ceratophrys cornuta (MNRJ s/n) at Stage 38: (A) lateral view, (B) dorsal view (scale = 10 mm), and (C) oral disc (scale = 1 mm).

FIGURE 68. Tadpole of Callimedusa tomopterna (LCS 574/5) at Stage 36: (A) lateral view, (B) dorsal view (scale = 10 mm), and (C) oral disc (scale = 1 mm).