Abstract
The current taxonomy of most Atelopus species is based on morphological and color data only. Recent studies suggest that A. spumarius may represent a species complex assigned under the same name. Karyotypic data and description of sperm ultrastructure for 13 specimens of A. spumarius are presented here for the first time. A chromosomal analysis revealed 2n = 22 chromosomes, with centromeric heterochromatin in all pairs and a nucleolar organizer region (NOR) on the telomere of pair 7. The sperm was of the bufonoid type, presenting a filiform nucleus covered by an acrosomal complex and a mitochondrial collar in the neck region. The tail was composed of an axoneme, an undulating membrane and an axial rod. A karyotype analysis of A. spumarius showed the same chromosome number and similar chromosomal morphology as described for congeneric species, with slight differences probably resulting from pericentric inversions. The NOR location (on pair 7) was the same as that observed for species belonging to the genus Rhinella. The spermatological findings indicate a close relationship between Atelopus and the bufonoid lineage. The present data are useful for reference in future studies to determine whether more than one species are assigned to A. spumarius.
Highlights
The harlequin frog, Atelopus spumarius Cope, 1871, is found in the Amazon region throughout Ecuador, Peru, the Guianas and Brazil (Amazonas, Para and Amapá states) (Frost, 2013)
Cytogenetics has been used increasingly as a tool to investigate chromosomal evolution and to make taxonomic inferences, indicating the existence of new species and differentiating between cryptic ones (Giaretta and Aguiar-Jr 1998, Medeiros et al 2003; Lourenço et al, 2006; Siqueira et al, 2008), and data from sperm ultrastructure have been used as additional characters in systematic studies
The only cytogenetic studies in Atelopus done so far are those on A. varius (Duellman, 1967; Schmid, 1980), A. ignescens and A. guanujo (Barrera et al 1984), and A. zeteki (Ramos et al, 2002), which described 2n = 22 chromosomes with highly similar morphology
Summary
The harlequin frog, Atelopus spumarius Cope, 1871, is found in the Amazon region throughout Ecuador, Peru, the Guianas and Brazil (Amazonas, Para and Amapá states) (Frost, 2013). The only cytogenetic studies in Atelopus done so far are those on A. varius (Duellman, 1967; Schmid, 1980), A. ignescens and A. guanujo (Barrera et al 1984), and A. zeteki (Ramos et al, 2002), which described 2n = 22 chromosomes with highly similar morphology. Species within the genera Ansonia, Bufo, Nimbaphrynoides and Melanophriniscus have been studied using sperm ultrastructure data (Jamieson, 2003) and show a morphological pattern that characterizes the superfamily Bufonoidea.
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