Gastrophrynoides immaculatus

Onn, Chan Kin, Grismer, Lee, Ahmad, Norhayati & Belabut, Daicus, 2009, A new species of Gastrophrynoides (Anura: Microhylidae): an addition to a previously monotypic genus and a new genus for Peninsular Malaysia, Zootaxa 2124, pp. 63-68 : 65-67

Gastrophrynoides immaculatus sp nov.

Figure 2

Suggested common name: Tung’s Narrow-mouthed Frog

Holotype. HC00279 ( Figure 2 ), adult female, collected April 2008 from Gunung Besar Hantu, Negeri Sembilan, Peninsular Malaysia ( Figure 1 ) by Orang Asli collectors at an elevation of 800–1400 meters a.s.l. Paratypes. HC00199, male; LSUHC 9166, female, collected from the same location as the holotype on the same date.

Diagnosis. Gastrophrynoides immaculatus is distinguished from all other microhylids by having a long, pointed snout that is 2.6–3.0 times the diameter of the eye; smooth skin; immaculate, grayish brown dorsum with no white spots; and a single, large, oval, outer metacarpal tubercle.

Description of holotype. Adult female, SVL 29.3 mm; habitus robust; head slightly wider than long (HW/HL 1.06), triangular in dorsal profile; snout long, 3.0 times diameter of eye, half the length of the head, rounded in lateral profile, greatly projecting beyond lower jaw, ventral surface of projection concave; canthus rostralis indistinct; lores, flat, sloping; nostrils laterally placed, much closer to end of snout than to eye; internarial width less than interorbital width; interorbital width more than three times width of upper eyelid; eyes small, 25% of head length; pupil rounded, widely dilated; tympanum visible but obscured by skin, subcircular, as wide as high, slightly less than eye diameter; supratympanic fold weak.

Skin smooth on all dorsal and ventral surfaces. Forelimbs moderately short, somewhat robust; F3>F2=F4>F1; finger tips expanded into small, round disks bearing circum-marginal grooves; finger disks equal or slightly wider than penultimate phalanges; subarticular and metacarpal tubercles weak; inner metacarpal tubercle small, oval; outer metacarpal tubercle large, oval; fingers free of web. Hind limbs moderate in length, robust;

T4>T2=T3=T5>T1; toe tips expanded into small, round disks bearing circum-marginal grooves; toe disks slightly wider than penultimate phalanges; toes free of webbing; inner metatarsal tubercle ellipsoidal;outer metatarsal tubercle absent (See appendix for additional measurements).

Color in life. Uniform grayish brown above; cream with fine brown stippling (only visible under microscope) below.

Color in alcohol. Dark gray above, dirty white below.

Paratypes. Resemble holotype in coloration except the brown stippling beneath the limbs on HC00199 and LSUHC 9166 is denser than that of the holotype (See appendix for measurements of type series).

Comparisons. Gastrophrynoides immaculatus is distinguished from G. b o r n e e n s i s in having an immaculate, grayish brown dorsum as opposed to a spotted dorsum (Figure 2,3); a longer snout (2.6–3.0 vs. 2.0–2.5 times diameter of eye); and a single, large, oval, outer metacarpal tubercle beneath the hand (vs. smaller, paired, rectangular outer metacarpal tubercles in G. borneensis ).

Distribution. Only known from the type locality in Gunung Besar Hantu, Negeri Sembilan ( Figure 1 ).

Natural History. The type series was found between 800–1400 m elevation in water-filled bamboo cuts not more than 1 m above ground.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a latin masculine adjective in reference to the species’ uniformly colored dorsum, which differentiates it from its only congener, G. borneensis . The proposed common name, Tung’s Narrow-mouthed Frog honors Mr. Leong Sung Tung, who discovered this frog and has contributed immensely to the study and knowledge of herpetofauna in Peninsular Malaysia.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Type locality of Gastrophrynoides immaculatus and distribution of G. borneensis.

FIGURE 2. Holotype of Gastrophrynoides immaculatus (HC 00279).