Beddome's Frog

description

External morphology. Description of a tadpole at Gosner stage 38. Body elliptical and depressed triangular in dorsal and lateral perspectives (fig. 47 a ‒ b). Body length 25.1 % of total length; maximum body diameter at middle of abdomen. Snout acutely rounded in dorsal and rounded in lateral perspectives. Eyes large; located, and oriented dorsolaterally; distance between eye and nostril 38.8 % of the distance between eye and snout. Nostril opening rounded and elevated at the rim, closer to eyes than to snout; placed parallel to eye in dorsal view; inter-narial distance equal to inter-orbital distance; distance between nostril and snout 22 % of body length. Spiracle sinistral with inner wall of tube not formed; tube orientation posterolateral, its opening located below the medial and above the lateral side of venter. Distance between spiracle and snout 64 % of body length. Opening of vent tube medial with a wide aperture. Tail tip acute; musculature broad at body tail junction tapering beyond. Dorsal fin originating posterior to body tail junction, ventral fin originating at ventral terminus; both fins feeble and reduced; ventral tail taller than dorsal fin. maximum height of cauda

Larval morphology of selected anuran species from India

discussion

Notes. Molecular data could not be generated from the tadpole vouchers. Indirana beddomii was recorded from the area where the tadpoles were collected. Tadpoles of I. beddomii were described by Annandale (1918), Boulenger (1920), Daniel & Sekar (1989), Inger et al. (1984), Daniel (2002) and Kuramoto & Joshy (2002). However, there is taxonomic uncertainty over the exact species identity for many of these descriptions.

Larval morphology of selected anuran species from India

materials_examined

Larval series examined. WT 135.20711 (Wyanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Sulthan Bathery, India; 11.55386 N, 76.13842 E). Tadpoles were collected on rocky slopes that had a thin film of water running over. The tadpoles were found feeding on algal growth on the rocks.

Larval morphology of selected anuran species from India