Descriptions of the tadpoles of two species of Gephyromantis, with a discussion of the phylogenetic origin of direct development in mantellid frogs

Randrianiaina, Roger-Daniel; Glaw, Frank; THOMAS, MEIKE; Glos, Julian; RAMINOSOA, NOROMALALA; Vences, Miguel

doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1401.3

Cited by 13 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…Mantidactylus femoralis), and a very narrow A 2gap (6 to 8% of A 2 ). Tadpoles agreeing with this morphology have been described for G. ambohitra (Randrianiaina et al 2007), and also for G. asper, G. sp. aff.…”

Section: Blommerssupporting

confidence: 72%

“…However, all these early observations were preliminary and not based on reliable identifications of the larvae or embryos examined. This changed with the work of Randrianiaina et al (2007) who reliably reported (based on molecular species identification) exotrophy in tadpoles of G. ambohitra and G. pseudoasper, and provided detailed morphological descriptions of them.…”

Section: Colouration In Preservativementioning

confidence: 99%

“…We therefore suspect that in this species too, endotrophic tadpoles will hatch from these eggs and complete their development free-swimming in the stream; similar to what we report here for Laurentomantis and Duboimantis. Three different ecomorphological clusters of tadpoles can thus be distinguished among the subgenera of Gephyromantis: the first comprises the generalized tadpoles of G. ambohitra (Randrianiaina et al 2007), G. sp aff. ambohitra and G. asper (R.D.…”

Section: Blommersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Randrianiaina pers. obs., unpublished data); the second comprises the carnivorous tadpoles of G. pseudoasper (Randrianiaina et al 2007), G. corvus and G. azzurae (R.D. Randrianiaina pers.…”

Section: Blommersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, exotrophic tadpoles have become known from various species that, phylogenetically, are firmly embedded in the genus: G. ambohitra and G. pseudoasper have generalized and carnivorous tadpoles, respectively (Randrianiaina et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nidicolous tadpoles rather than direct development in Malagasy frogs of the genusGephyromantis

Randrianiaina

Wollenberg

Hiobiarilanto

et al. 2011

Journal of Natural History

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Frogs in the genus Gephyromantis from Madagascar were assumed to have a direct developmental mode, i.e. the complete embryonic and larval development within the egg, but recently free-swimming, exotrophic tadpoles of a few species have been found. Herein we provide detailed morphological descriptions of the tadpoles of five more species of this genus, indicating a developmental mode other than direct development in species of Gephyromantis. Tadpoles of Gephyromantis granulatus, G. sculpturatus, G. tschenki, and G. ventrimaculatus were found free-swimming in streams, and tadpoles of G. sp. aff. blanci were raised after hatching from clutches found in the leaf litter. All tadpoles were identified by DNA barcoding. The oral discs of all five species are characterized by the lack of many typical morphological traits of exotrophic tadpoles (such as oral papillae and keratodonts). This indicates that these tadpoles are either non-feeding (endotrophic) or only facultatively feeding tadpoles. We classify these tadpoles as nidicolous based on the observation that the larvae of G. sp. aff. blanci stayed after hatching in the jelly nest until metamorphosis. It remains unclarified whether all species have strictly nidicolous tadpoles, and the larvae of the four species found in the streams were just accidentally washed into these streams; alternatively, some of these tadpoles might be nidicolous at first but in some species need to live in free water at later stages.

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Section: Blommerssupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Colouration In Preservativementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Blommersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Randrianiaina pers. obs., unpublished data); the second comprises the carnivorous tadpoles of G. pseudoasper (Randrianiaina et al 2007), G. corvus and G. azzurae (R.D. Randrianiaina pers.…”

Section: Blommersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nidicolous tadpoles rather than direct development in Malagasy frogs of the genusGephyromantis

Randrianiaina

Wollenberg

Hiobiarilanto

et al. 2011

Journal of Natural History

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Acoustic underwater signals with a probable function during competitive feeding in a tadpole

Reeve

Ndriantsoa

Strauß

et al. 2010

Naturwissenschaften

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Acoustic communication is widespread among adult stages of terrestrial animals and fish and has also been observed in insect larvae. We report underwater acoustic communication in the larvae of a frog, Gephyromantis azzurrae, from Isalo, a sandstone massif in western Madagascar. According to our field data, these tadpoles live in streams and prefer habitats characterized by comparatively low temperatures, shallow water depth, and a relatively fast current. Feeding experiments indicated that the tadpoles are carnivorous and macrophagous. They consumed insect larvae and, to a lesser extent, small shrimps, and conspecific as well as heterospecific tadpoles. Calls of these tadpoles consisted either of single click notes or of irregular series of various clicks. Some complex calls have a pulsed structure with three to nine indistinct energy pulses. Production of the pulses coincided with rapid closure of the jaw sheaths and often with an upward movement of the body. Calls were emitted while attacking prey and occurred significantly more often when attacking conspecifics. Tadpoles that had not been fed for some time emitted sounds more frequently than those that had been regularly fed. The spectral frequency of the calls differed in tadpole groups of different size and was higher in groups of smaller tadpoles, suggesting that spectral frequency carries some information about tadpole size which might be important during competitive feeding to assess size and strength of competitors. This report differs from those for the larvae of South American horned frogs, Ceratophrys ornata. These are the only other tadpoles for which sound production has reliably been reported but the calls of Ceratophrys tadpoles occur mainly in a defensive context.

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Four years of DNA barcoding: Current advances and prospects

Frézal

Leblois

2008

Infection, Genetics and Evolution

299

202

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Descriptions of the tadpoles of two species of Gephyromantis, with a discussion of the phylogenetic origin of direct development in mantellid frogs

Cited by 13 publications

References 0 publications

Nidicolous tadpoles rather than direct development in Malagasy frogs of the genusGephyromantis

Nidicolous tadpoles rather than direct development in Malagasy frogs of the genusGephyromantis

Acoustic underwater signals with a probable function during competitive feeding in a tadpole

Four years of DNA barcoding: Current advances and prospects

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