Internal Oral Morphology Research Articles

Larval chondrocranial and internal oral morphology of the neotropical treefrog Boana crepitans (Wied-Neuwied, 1824; Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae).

We describe the internal oral morphology and chondrocranial anatomy for Boana crepitans tadpoles, and compare them with available descriptions for other species in the subfamily Cophomantinae. Among species of the Boana faber group, the chondrocranial anatomy has been reported only for one species internal oral morphology and cranial anatomy are similar to other described species of Boana and Cophomantinae. B. crepitans lacks unique features in the oral cavity and chondrocranium that would distinguish it from other congeneric species. We identify six characters from the internal oral anatomy of tadpoles unique for Cophomantinae. In addition, Boana has infralabial papillae projections, buccal floor arena papillae, and lateral ridge papillae projections shorter than those described for Aplastodiscus and Bokermannohyla.

A survey of the external morphology, internal oral morphology, chondrocranium and hyobranchial apparatus of Elachistocleis larvae Parker, 1927 (Anura, Microhylidae).

The external morphology, internal oral morphology, the chondrocranium and the hyobranchial apparatus of Elachistocleis bumbameuboi, E. cf. piauiensis, E. cesarii and E. bicolor are described and compared with each other and with other species of microhylids using available descriptions from the literature. The general morphology of Elachistocleis species is conservative in many aspects. Differences between species are subtle and are found in the body shape, the edge of the snout, fin height, if the lateral line is evident, the presence of regular pustules in the buccal roof arena, the posterolateral edge of the cartilago suprarostralis, the shape of the fenestra in the occipital region, presence or absence of fenestra hypophysea, the margin of the processus antorbitalis, expansions in the ventrolateral process, the shape and inclination of the fenestra subocularis, whether the subotic process is single or slightly bifid, and the inclination of the processus anterolateralis hyalis.

The Tadpole of Scinax cardosoi (Carvalho-e-Silva and Peixoto, 1991), with Description of Internal Oral Morphology and Taxonomic Considerations (Anura: Hylidae)

Larval traits provide useful taxonomic characters. The only morphological synapomorphy that separates Scinax species from Ololygon species comes from larvae. However, tadpoles of Ololygon and Scinax remain undescribed; furthermore, there is a lack of information regarding their internal oral cavities. Herein, we describe the tadpole of Scinax cardosoi and its internal oral morphology. Overall, the body is triangular and depressed in lateral view and oval in dorsal view, the dorsal fin is slightly higher than the lower fin, and the tooth row formula is 2(1,2)/3. The tadpole of S. cardosoi can be distinguished from tadpoles of Ololygon and Scinax by its oral disc morphology and oral papillae arrangement. The position of the larval vent tube, as well as some adult features, suggest a close relationship between S. cardosoi and species of Ololygon, leading us to transfer the species from Scinax to Ololygon.

A comparison of tadpoles of two populations of Leptodactylus plaumanni (Anura: Leptodactylidae), with a discussion of Leptodactylus tadpole morphology

ABSTRACTOf the currently known 75 species within the four recognized species groups of Leptodactylus, the L. fuscus group contains 30 species, of which tadpoles are known for 24, including L. plaumanni described based on a population from Argentina. Herein, we describe external and internal oral morphology of L. plaumanni tadpoles collected in Brazil and compare with tadpoles from Argentina. In addition, we compare phenetic groups obtained from analysis of larval characters with the currently recognized species groups. The tadpole of L. plaumanni from Brazil is identified by: body globular in lateral view, ventral fin forming a wide arc, oral disc lateroventrally emarginate, marginal papillae of oral disc biseriate, more than 10 papillae on each side delimiting the mouth floor, and buccal roof arena trapezoidal. Of the 23 analyzed external morphological characters, only eight were shared by tadpoles from Argentina and Brazil, and they also shared 14 of the 15 internal oral morphological characters. Tadpoles of both populations differ in external morphology and, although such intraspecific differences can be due to plasticity, the hypothesis that these two populations represent different species cannot be dismissed. Phenetic groups obtained using larval characters are consistent with species groups proposed for Leptodactylus by phylogenetic analysis, based on adult characters.

Description of the Tadpole of Phyllomedusa azurea from the Brazilian Cerrado, with a Description of the Internal Oral Morphology of Phyllomedusa oreades

Abstract We present a description of the external morphology of Phyllomedusa azurea and describe the internal oral morphology of P. azurea and P. oreades from populations of the Brazilian Cerrado. We also present a comparison with the available descriptions of the external morphology of tadpoles from the P. hypochondrialis group and review the internal oral morphology of the Phyllomedusa genus. The tadpole of P. azurea is characterized by a tooth row formula of 2(2)/3(1), few submarginal papillae, and spiracle positioned ventrally. Phyllomedusa oreades has a diamond-shaped buccal floor, numerous pustulations randomly distributed throughout the buccal floor arena, and a triangular buccal roof. The variation observed in the morphology of P. azurea tadpoles highlights the need to understand how morphological variation affects traits used in species diagnosis and the extent to which this variation could be explained by resource use, geographic variation, and/or ontogeny.

Chondrocranium and internal oral morphology of the tadpole of Corythomantis greeningi (Anura: Hylidae)

Corythomantis greeningi is a casque-headed frog that occurs in xeric and sub-humid regions of northeastern Brazil. Individuals are often found on rocks on banks of temporary streams or in ponds upon “lajedos”. Suctorial tadpoles are often found clasping to the rocks in the streams so as not to be dragged by the current; therefore, they have modified external and internal morphology. Here, we describe the internal oral anatomy and the chondrocranium of the tadpole of C. greeningi and compare it to the available descriptions of Lophyohylinae and other suctorial tadpoles. The internal oral morphology in C. greeningi resembles pond-dwelling casque-headed frogs, although it has been found in temporary lotic environments. Corythomantis greeningi has unusual chondrocranial morphology relative to that of other described Lophyohylinae, including marked differences at the cornua trabeculae and palatoquadrate. Apparently, the chondrocranial morphology is related to its ecomorphology, because it is structurally more similar to other suctorial tadpoles that inhabit lotic environments than to phylogenetically related species such as Trachycephalus typhonius and Phyllodytes gyrinaethes

The Larva ofCrossodactylus aeneusMüller, 1924: Morphology and Ecological Aspects

Presently, only 6 out of 14 species in the frog genus Crossodactylus have had their larvae described. Regarding internal oral morphology, only C. dispar, C. gaudichaudii, and C. trachystomus have had tadpoles described. Furthermore, the osteology of C. gaudichaudii was briefly studied and constitutes the unique reference to the subject within the genus. Here, we describe the tadpole of C. aeneus, including its osteology and internal oral anatomy features, an endemic species of the Atlantic forest biome of Brazil. We also provide data from nature on their microhabitat use and abundance variation throughout the year in the streams at the study site. The external morphology of C. aeneus tadpoles is different from all of Crossodactylus spp. tadpoles described, except for C. gaudichaudii, the adult of which is also morphologically similar to C. aeneus. The osteology of C. aeneus tadpoles is similar to that of Hylodes ornatus (the single species of Hylodidae that has had its chondrocranium described) but the pair of adrostral cartilages present in the chondrocranium of H. ornatus is absent in C. aeneus and the pair of processus muscularis of H. ornatus is comparatively more developed than that of C. aeneus. The overall aspect of the oral internal morphology of C. aeneus is more similar to that of C. gaudichaudii than to other Crossodactylus species described in the literature. Our field data showed that tadpoles of C. aeneus are benthic, and that the most frequently used microhabitats were mud, sand, sand with vegetation, and mud with vegetation, all most frequently in the shallow parts of streams. At the study site in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, they were more abundant (in all stages of development) during the driest period of the year.Até o momento, apenas 6 de 14 espécies do gênero Crossodactylus tiveram suas larvas descritas. Quanto a morfologia oral interna, somente C. dispar, C. gaudichaudii, e C. tarchystomus tiveram essas características descritas. Além disso, a osteologia de C. gaudichaudii foi estudada superficialmente e é a única referência para o gênero. Neste estudo, nós descrevemos o girinos de C. aeneus, incluindo características da sua osteologia e morfologia oral interna, uma espécie endêmica da Floresta Atlântica, Brasil. Nós também apresentamos resultados sobre o uso do microhabitat e a variação na abundância dos girinos ao longo do ano em riachos da área de estudo. A morfologia oral externa dos girinos de C. aeneus difere das demais espécies do mesmo gênero, exceto de C. gaudichaudii, cujo adulto também é morfologicamente similar a C. aeneus. A osteologia dos girinos de C. aeneus é similar a de Hylodes ornatus (a única espécie de Hylodes que possui o condrocrânio descrito), porém o par de processus muscularis de H. ornatus é comparativamente mais desenvolvido do que de C. aeneus. O aspecto geral da morfologia oral interna de C. aeneus é mais similar a de C. gaudichaudii do que outras espécies do gênero. Nossos resultados de campo mostram que os girinos de C. aeneus são bentônicos e que utilizam mais frequentemente como microhabitats lodo, areia, areia com vegetação e lodo com vegetação, todos predominantemente nas partes mais rasas dos riachos. Ainda, os girinos foram mais abundantes (em todos os estágios de desenvolvimento, durante o período mais seco do ano.

Internal oral morphology in larvae of the genus Rhinella Fitzinger, 1826 (Amphibia, Anura, Bufonidae).

From the 86 species allocated in the genus Rhinella, 25 have their tadpoles described and only R. arenarum, R. chrysophora, R. icterica, R. ornata, R. schneideri and R. spinulosa have aspects of the internal oral morphology evidenced. Herein, the internal oral morphology from 12 species of Rhinella distributed between the morphological groups of R. crucifer, R. granulosa, R. marina and R margaritifera is described and compared. The internal oral morphology of Rhinella is little variable in many aspects. Despite the many similarities found between the tadpoles of Rhinella, the study showed that there are characteristics that exhibit interspecific variation that can be used in the taxonomy of the genus. Important features to distinguish species were: number of infrarrostral projections; number and shape of the infralabial papillae; size, arrangement, shape and apex of the lingual papillae; shape of the buccal floor arena papillae; number of projections of the ventral velum; shape of the prenarial ridge; choanae arrangement; number and apex of the postnarial papillae; number and shape of the secondary branches on the lateral ridge papilla; buccal roof arena papillae arrangement.

The Tadpole ofLeptodactylus caatingaeHeyer & Juncá, 2003 (Anura: Leptodactylidae): External Morphology, Internal Anatomy, and Natural History

Abstract. We describe and illustrate the external morphology, oral disc, chondrocranium, and internal oral anatomy of Leptodactylus caatingae larvae. We analyze the internal oral anatomy using scanning electron microscopy of a larva in Gosner stage 38 and chondrocranial anatomy is reported for Gosner stage 34. The tadpole at Gosner stage 38 has a globular body shape with low tail fins and a ventral oral disc bordered by two rows of marginal papillae on most of the disc, except for the anterior labium and a medial portion of the posterior labium where papillae are simple; a wide rostral gap is present; labial tooth row formula: 2(2)/3(1). Observations on the natural history of adults and tadpoles are also reported. The external morphology of these tadpoles is compared with available descriptions for larvae of L. latinasus and other congeners that occur in sympatry with L. caatingae. Internal oral morphology and chondrocranial anatomy are discussed in relation to available data for other species in the L. f...

A survey of the internal oral morphology in larvae of the genus Hylodes Fitzinger, 1826 (Amphibia, Anura, Hylodidae).

From the 24 species allocated in the genus Hylodes, 16 have their tadpoles described, which five have information on the oral anatomy. Herein, the internal oral morphology of the tadpoles of H. dactylocinus, H. heyeri, H. aff. lateristrigatus, H. magalhaesi, H. meridionalis, H. phyllodes, H. sazimai, and H. uai is described, along with comparisons among all species in the genus with previously known oral morphology.

The Tadpole ofPhysalaemus angrensisWeber, Gonzaga and Carvalho-e-Silva, 2005 (Amphibia; Anura; Leptodactylidae)

The tadpole of Physalaemus angrensis Weber, Gonzaga and Carvalho-e-Silva, 2005 is described based on tadpoles reared in captivity from a pair collected in a temporary pond in Angra dos Reis Municipality, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The species belongs to the Physalaemus signifier group and shares many external characteristics with other members of this group, like the labial tooth row formula 2(2)/3(1) and the ovoid body. The internal oral morphology is also described and compared with other tadpoles of the genus.

The tadpole of the hylid frog Scinax belloni (Anura: Hylidae)

Scinax perpusillus group is composed by11 species. Only Scinax arduous, Scinax littoreus, Scinax. meloi, S. perpusillus, S. tupinamba, and S. v-signatus, have its tadpole described. Herein we described the tadpole of Scinax belloni and its internal oral features. Tadpoles of S. belloni were collected in bromeliads at the Parque Estadual do Forno Grande, municipality of Castelo, Espírito Santo, southeastern. Two tadpoles were reared to froglets in order to allow specific identification. The morphology of S. belloni tadpoles resemble the other known larvae in many aspects such as oval body in dorsal view, coloration, rounded snout in dorsal view, dorsolateral eyes, anteroventral mouth and labial tooth row formula 2(2)/3. In fact, at first sight, all known tadpoles are very similar from each other. Nevertheless, they do can be distinguished by some characters as the shape of lower jaw; number of row of labial papillae; the size of the fins; height of tail and the body; whether musculature of tail reaches its tip and if tail ends rounded or pointed. S. belloni tadpoles are readily differentiated from the other known Scinax gr. perpusillus species tadpoles by the presence of a dark band that goes along the dorsal and ventral fin. The internal oral morphology of S. belloni is also described.

The Tadpole ofPhysalaemus albifrons(Spix, 1824) (Anura, Leiuperidae)

ABSTRACT. The tadpoles of Physalaemus albifrons used in this description were obtained from a pair collected in a permanent pond in Brotas de Macaubas, state of Bahia, Brazil. The external morphological features are similar to those of other members of the P. albifrons species group, differing by the presence of interruptions in the row of the marginal papillae of the lower lip. Labial tooth row formula is 2(2)/3(1, 2). The internal oral morphology of P. albifrons differed from those of P. marmoratus, P. santafecinus and P. biligonigerus by the presence of three lingual papillae.

Anatomy of the Oral Cavity of Hylid Larvae from the Genera Aplastodiscus, Bokermannohyla, and Hypsiboas (Amphibia, Anura): Description and Systematic Implications

Abstract Internal larval oral anatomy was used to explore morphological diversity and its contribution to the systematics of the genera Aplastodiscus, Bokermannohyla, and Hypsiboas, belonging to the tribe Cophomantini. Internal oral morphology was examined for tadpoles of 12 species. All species have a large pair of infralabial papillae on the buccal floor and other papillae on the prelingual region. In Aplastodiscus and Bokermannohyla, the large infralabial papillae have digitiform secondary projections. The number and arrangement of the buccal floor papillae varies among species, but they are more numerous in Aplastodiscus and Bokermannohyla. The arrangement of the postnarial papillae is variable, but in Aplastodiscus and Bokermannohyla, they show a definite, inverted V-shape pattern. The lateral ridge papillae are more complex in larvae of Bokermannohyla with long digitiform secondary projections. Tadpoles of only Aplastodiscus albofrenatus, Aplastodiscus eugenioi, and Bokermannohyla luctuosa have papi...

The tadpole of Scinax catharinae (Anura: Hylidae) with description of the internal oral morphology, and a review of the tadpoles from the Scinax catharinae group

AbstractWe present a description of the external morphology and internal oral features of the tadpole of Scinax catharinae and comparisons with the known tadpoles of the S. catharinae group. Two characters of the external morphology present some intraspecific variation: the row of submarginal papillae, which can be uniseriate or absent, and the tail tip, which can be large or small, truncated or not. That said, the tadpole of S. catharinae presents some distinguishing features that differentiate it from other tadpoles in the S. catharinae group: i) the marginal row of papillae with alternate disposition, ii) the spiracle opening on the midline of the body, iii) longest snout length, and iv) largest interorbital distance. The studied species were segregated into five ecomorphological guilds, characterized by external morphological features, tadpole habitat use and vegetation formation of species range. The taxonomy of the S. catharinae group is complex, due to the morphological similarities among the adults. Larval characters could help in the resolution of the taxonomic and phylogenetic complexities, since the morphological differences among the tadpoles in this group seem more conspicuous than those found among the adults.

The tadpoles of Alsodes vanzolinii and A. verrucosus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) with descriptions of their internal oral and chondrocranial morphology

AbstractThe tadpoles of Alsodes vanzolinii and A. verrucosus are described. The descriptions include external, oral cavity, and chondrocranial morphology. The external characteristics, and those of the internal oral morphology, are useful in the specific diagnosis.

Chondrocranial, hyobranchial and internal oral morphology in larvae of the basal bufonid genus Melanophryniscus (Amphibia: Anura)

Abstract Melanophryniscus is a genus of small toads inhabiting the southern portion of South America. This genus is considered basal within the family Bufonidae. Data on larval chondrocranial morphology do not exist for the genus and larval internal oral anatomy has only been described for a single species. Here, we describe chondrocranial and internal oral morphology in Melanophryniscus montevidensis , M. orejasmirandai and M. sanmartini . Chondrocranial morphology is similar among the species examined. Comparisons with other bufonids and with outgroup taxa suggest that the following chondrocranial characters may represent synapomorphies for the Bufonidae: free (or absent) ceratobranchial IV, a reduced or absent larval crista parotica, the lack of a larval otic process, and late development of thin, poorly chondrified orbital cartilages. The presence of an elongated processus anterior dorsalis of the suprarostral alae and the absence of a chondrified commissura quadratoorbitalis appear to be unique in Melanophryniscus among bufonids. Internal oral anatomy is conserved in Melanophryniscus , and among bufonids in general.

Internal Oral Morphology of Tadpoles of Dermatonotus muelleri and Elachistocleis bicolor

-The internal oral morphology of tadpoles of Dermatonotus muelleri and Elachistocleis bicolor were analyzed using scanning electron and stereoscopic microscopy. Similarities between these larvae include the architecture of the buccal roof and floor: wide and almost flattened surfaces; unperforated internal nares appearing as circular depressions; absence of infralabial and lingual papillae; presence of massive, triangular postnarial papillae; and absence of other papillae posterior to the median ridge. Differences include a raised glottis placed in the center of the buccal floor arena in D. muelleri, and the number of the lateral papillae positioned at each side of the prenarial arena. We suggest that the oral flaps and the roof papillae play a significant role in the capture of food particles by establishing the inflow of alimentary water, and aggregating food particles and mucus inside the buccopharyngeal cavity. Microhylid tadpoles have a stable pattern of body size and shape, and oral and buccopharyngeal features, which may reflect ecological and functional constraints relative to the morphology of other suspension feeding anuran larvae. Although there is some information on the interal oral morphology of larvae of several species of the extremely diverse Microhylidae (over 280 species distributed in 10 subfamilies; Duellman, 1993), there are only eight descriptions of the oral cavity (e.g., Wassersug, 1980; Inger, 1985; Wassersug and Pybur, 1987; Chou and Lin, 1997). There is only one such description for a neotropical representative of this family, namely the peculiar tadpoles of Otophryne robusta (Wassersug and Pyburn, 1987). Our investigation focused on the two southernmost species of neotropical microhylids, Dermatonotus muelleri and Elachistocleis bicolor, whose larvae have received attention by many authors. Both species have lentic, suspension feeding, Type II tadpoles (Altig and Johnston, 1989). The external larval morphology of D. muelleri was characterized by Vizotto (1967) and Lavilla (1992), who also described the structure of the chondrocranium and visceral skeleton. The tadpole of E. bicolor was described by Williams and Gudynas (1987). Lavilla and Langone (1991, 1995) analyzed the ontogenetical peculiarities of the proctodeal tube and spiraculum of this species, as well as the structure of the cephalic skeleton. Wild (1995) reported a phylogenetic analysis of all New World microhylid genera which included tadpole features of the genera Dermatonotus and Elachistocleis, but nothing concerning internal oral morphology. Herein we present descriptions of the internal oral features of the tadpoles of Dermatonotus muelleri and Elachistocleis bicolor MATERIALS AND METHODS All tadpoles were captured from the wild and preserved in 10% formalin. Oral and buccopharyngeal features were observed using stereoscopic and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) following the techniques proposed by Wassersug (1976) and Echeverria (1992). Once dissected, buccal structures were critical-point dried and coated with gold-palladium for SEM. Video records of some of the SEM are kept at the VIDEO collection in the research laboratory of DDE. Drawings of the buccal surface were made with a camera lucida, after staining structures with 2-3 drops of Carazzi's hematoxylin. Terminology is that of Viertel (1982) for the buccopharyngeal cavity and Gosner (1960) for tadpole stages. Portions of the anterior gut of two individuals of each species were dissected for qualitative examination of their contents. For light microscopy (LM) observation, the gut was dehydrated, cleared, and embedded in paraffin (56-58 C); longitudinal and transverse sections (4 ,um) were stained with PAS or a modified version of Masson's trichrome (Martoja and Martoja-Pierson, 1970). Tadpoles were deposited in the personal collection of DDE, Department of Biological Sciences of Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEN).

Description of the Tadpole of Hyla plicata with Comments on the Taxonomic Value of the Larval Internal Oral Morphology

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The internal oral morphology of some anuran larvae from south India: a scanning electron microscopic study

AbstractThe internal oral morphology of the larvae of four species of sympatric anuran amphibians from a locality in south India was examined by scanning electron microscopy. A close fit between diet and oral structures was found. The mouthparts are considerated as adaptive for a variety of feeding modes, including filter-feeding, algal-scraping and macrophyte-snipping.