Caecilia pulchraserrana, Acosta-Galvis, Andres R., Torres, Mauricio & Pulido-Santacruz, Paola, 2019

Acosta-Galvis, Andres R., Torres, Mauricio & Pulido-Santacruz, Paola, 2019, A new species of Caecilia (Gymnophiona, Caeciliidae) from the Magdalena valley region of Colombia, ZooKeys 884, pp. 135-157 : 135

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.884.35776
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C3B495CC-5594-4586-B636-71D9C3ABFF78
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/BD849A1C-D33F-5BA0-BB88-96D143F70831
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Caecilia pulchraserrana
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Caecilia pulchraserrana sp. nov. Figs 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 ; Tables 2 View Table , 3 View Table , 4 View Table

Holotype.

IAvH-Am-15487 (field number ARA 7872; Figs 3 View Figure 3 , 4C View Figure 4 ), an adult female collected 25 February 2018 by A. R. Acosta-Galvis, Miguel Torres, and Daniela García.

Type Locality.

( Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ) Colombia, Santander Department, El Carmen de Chucurí Municipality, vereda La Belleza, Cascajales River, 06°34'8.9"N, 73°34'20.2"W, 789 m a.s.l.

Paratypes.

Four specimens ( Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ), IAvH-Am-15488 (field number ARA 7871) and UIS-MHN-A-6575 (field number ARA 7689), adult females, collected with holotype, and IAvH-Am-15489-90 (field numbers ARA 7690-1, respectively), adult males (exhibiting phallus, Fig. 5 A–C View Figure 5 ), 06°34'41.1"N, 73°34'28.9"W, 731 m a.s.l., collected 19 February 2018 by A. R. Acosta-Galvis and Miguel Torres.

Referred specimens.

UIS-MHN-A-6576-7 (field numbers ARA 7692-3, respectively), juveniles, 06°34'41.1"N, 73°34'28.9"W, 731 m a.s.l., collected 19 February 2018 by A. R. Acosta-Galvis and Miguel Torres. Tissues for molecular analysis (IAvH-CT-22733-4) were extracted from these specimens.

Diagnosis.

Caecilia pulchraserrana sp. nov. differs from its congeners by the combination of having 100-104 dorsally incomplete primary annular grooves, a small size (195-232 mm), lips and ventral margin of upper jaw with a pink-orange (salmon) color ( Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ), and lacking secondary annular grooves and dermal scale pockets.

Species comparisons.

Regarding the species of the genus Caecilia , the absence of secondary annular grooves distinguishes C. pulchraserrana sp. nov. from C. abitaguae Dunn, 1942, C. albiventris Daudin, 1803, C. armata Dunn, 1942, C. antioquiaensis Taylor, 1968, C. bokermanni Taylor, 1968, C. dunni Hershkovitz, 1938, C. flavopunctata Roze & Solano, 1963, C. gracilis Shaw, 1802, C. guntheri Dunn, 1942, C. isthmica Cope, 1878, C. leucocephala Taylor, 1968, C. marcusi Wake, 1985, C. mertensi Taylor, 1973, C. museugoeldi Maciel & Hoogmoed, 2018, C. nigricans Boulenger, 1902, C. occidentalis Taylor, 1968, C. pressula Taylor, 1968, C. perdita Taylor, 1968, C. subnigricans Dunn, 1942, C. subterminalis Taylor, 1968, C. tentaculata Linnaeus, 1758, C. tenuissima (Taylor, 1973), C. thompsoni Boulenger, 1902, and C. volcani Taylor, 1969.

Caecilia pulchraserrana sp. nov. shares with C. attenuata Taylor, 1968, C. caribea Dunn, 1942, C. corpulenta Taylor, 1968, C. crassisquama Taylor, 1968, C. degenerata Dunn, 1942, C. inca Taylor, 1973, C. orientalis Taylor, 1968, C. pachynema Günther, 1859, and C. subdermalis Taylor, 1968 the absence of secondary annular grooves and the presence of incomplete primary annular grooves. However, the new species can be distinguished from these nine species by having a lower number of primary annular grooves (100-104 vs. 114-199). Caecilia pulchraserrana sp. nov. most closely resembles C. degenerata , which also lacks subdermal scales, but differs from it in having fewer primary annuli.

Description of holotype.

An adult female ( Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ). Head dorsoventrally flattened and slightly narrower than body; head width at CM 63% of width at midbody, head width at CM 72% of head length; head length 3.5% of total length; interorbital distance 40% of head width. Snout projects 1.6 mm beyond mouth; tip of snout rounded in dorsal and lateral view ( Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ); area between the eye and naris flattened. Eyes visible but small, eye diameter 4% of head length and 13.5% of eye-nostril distance; nares small, margins slightly protuberant, directed posterodorsally, visible from above. Tentacular openings circular and small, slightly raised above skin, laterally positioned near margin of mouth (Type D sensu Lynch 1999, Fig. 3D, E View Figure 3 ), slightly closer to corner of mouth than to nostrils. Tongue anteriorly attached, surface smooth with some longitudinally oriented grooves. Teeth pointed, recurved, with size decreasing posteriorly; premaxillary-maxillary and dentary teeth monocuspid and visible externally. Premaxillary-maxillary teeth 13, posterior maxillary teeth smaller. Premaxillary-maxillary series extending behind level of choanae. Vomeropalatine teeth 10, monocuspid, relatively uniform, moderately recurved, not visible externally, similar in size. Dentary teeth 12, moderately recurved, faintly larger than premaxillary-maxillary teeth. Choanae subovoid; narial plugs visible ( Fig. 3F View Figure 3 ). Nuchal grooves indistinct dorsally and ventrally, incompletely encircling body with transverse grooves on the collars, in ventral surfaces. First collar shorter than second. Body subcylindrical, slightly deeper than wide ( Fig. 3A, B View Figure 3 ); body width at midbody 4% of total length. Width along body varies slightly, narrower at terminal region. Primary annuli 104 incomplete dorsally and ventrally. Primary annular grooves completely encircling the body. Secondary grooves absent ( Fig. 3 G–I View Figure 3 ). Dermal scale pockets absent. Vent circular; disc around vent conspicuous enlarged ( Fig. 3I View Figure 3 ) with seven denticulations anterior, seven nearly equal posterior denticulatios ( Fig. 3I View Figure 3 ); anal papillae absent, and unsegmented terminal shield of 4.9 mm length.

Color in life

( Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ): Jaw margins, area between the eye and naris, and tentacular regions pink-orange (salmon); eyeballs completely violet blue ( Fig. 4b View Figure 4 ); periorbital region salmon; body dark brownish with thin salmon-colored chromatophores; ventral surface of body slightly paler than dorsum; annular grooves on sides of body slightly darker than general body color.

Color in preservative

(ethanol 70%; Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ): Body dark slate gray dorsally with diffuse khaki chromatophores; jaw margins, rostral and periocular regions yellowish; ventral and lateral surfaces slightly paler than dorsum; vent disk jaw margins and area between the eye and naris yellowish.

Variation of type series

(Tables 3 View Table , 4 View Table ). There is little variation among type specimens. Head flattened and slightly narrower than body, head width at CM 58-97% of width at midbody; head width at CM 72-92% of head length; head length 2-4% of total length; interorbital distance 36-50% of head width. Eye diameter 4-8% of the head length and 10-19% of eye-nostril distance. Nares small, slightly protuberant, directed posterodorsally, and visible from above. Premaxillary-maxillary teeth 11-13. Vomeropalatine teeth 9-12. Dentary teeth 10-13. First collar 66-96% of second collar. Body width at midbody 2-4% of total length. Primary annuli incomplete dorsally and ventrally. Secondary grooves and dermal scales absent. Vent circular; disc around with 12-15 anal denticulations. Denticulations usually seven-eight anteriorly, and seven posteriorly, nearly equal in size ( Fig. 3I View Figure 3 ).

Distribution and natural history.

Caecilia pulchraserrana sp. nov. is currently known from two adjacent, relictual tropical wet forest localities on the western slope of the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia ( Serranía de los Yariquíes; Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ) at elevations between 731-789 m a.s.l. The Serrania of the Yariguies corresponds to an isolated mountain range that is part of the western slope of the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia ( Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ). Caecilia pulchraserrana sp. nov. is a fossorial species associated with marshy areas surrounded by secondary vegetation at the forest edge ( Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ). The specimens were collected during the dry season in very wet soils lacking rocks (i.e., bogs; Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ), in a slightly inclined area (nearly 5°of slope) covered with vegetation of the family Heliconiaceae ( Heliconia spp., Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ).

Caecilia pulchraserrana sp. nov. was obtained during the initial 10 minutes of removal with a hoe.We extracted the first specimen in intermediate substrates between marshy and dry areas; after 40 minutes of excavation in these selected areas, we obtained four additional specimens. Using these same criteria, when moving two kilometers above the original point, an area with similar characteristics was located and within 20 minutes we collected two additional specimens. Caecilia pulchraserrana sp. nov. was collected on black sandy soils with high organic matter content. These caecilians move quickly under the substrate, so once the first specimen is detected it is important to quickly create channels to surround and block them from escaping.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is formed from the Latin pulchra (nominative feminine singular of pulcher), meaning beauty, and the Spanish adjective serrana (feminine singular of serrano), from the sierra or serranía. This specific name refers to the type locality of the species: vereda La Belleza (beauty in English) in the western foothills of the Serranía de Los Yariguíes. The specific name was chosen using a citizen science approach. First, scientists and inhabitants of the El Carmen de Chucurí municipality gathered a list of possible names for the new species. Then, the list of potential names and their meanings was shared with the local people, who voted to choose their preferred name.