Molecular phylogenetic analysis of a taxonomically unstable ranid from Sumatra, Indonesia, reveals a new genus with gastromyzophorous tadpoles and two new species

Abstract

The presence of an adhesive abdominal sucker (gastromyzophory) allows tadpoles of certain species of anurans to live in fast-flowing streams. Gastromyzophorous tadpoles are rare among anurans, known only in certain American bufonids and Asian ranids. To date,Huia sumatrana, which inhabits cascading streams, has been the only Sumatran ranid known to possess gastromyzophorous tadpoles. In the absence of thorough sampling and molecular barcoding of adults and larvae, it has remained to be confirmed whether other Sumatran ranid species living in similar habitats, i.e.,Chalcorana crassiovis, possesses this larval type. Moreover, the taxonomic status of this species has long been uncertain and its taxonomic position within the Ranidae, previously based exclusively on morphological characters, has remained unresolved. To study the diversity and relationships of these frogs and to establish the identity of newly collected gastromyzophorous tadpoles from Sumatra, we compared genetic sequences ofC. crassiovis-like taxa from a wide range of sites on Sumatra. We conducted bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses on a concatenated dataset of mitochondrial (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and tRNAval) and nuclear (RAG1 and TYR) gene fragments. Our analyses recoveredC. crassiovisto be related toClinotarsus,Huia, andMeristogenys. The DNA barcodes of the gastromyzophorous tadpoles matched adults from the same sites. Herein, we provide a re-description of adultC. crassiovisand propose “C. kampeni” as a synonym of this species. The molecular evidence, morphological features, and distribution suggest the presence of two related new species. The two new species andC. crassiovistogether represent a distinct phylogenetic clade possessing unique molecular and morphological synapomorphies, thus warranting a new genus.

An investigation into the taxonomy of Abavorana luctuosa (Peters, 1871) (Anura, Ranidae) and the resurrection of Rana decorata Mocquard, 1890 from Borneo

“…Borneo has long been a focal point of herpetological research in Southeast Asia (Das 2006b(Das , 2007Inger et al 2017;Malkmus et al 2002;Stuebing et al 2014 and references within), and new discoveries continue to be made especially with the aid of molecular data and careful taxonomic reappraisals (for example, Davis et al 2019;Grismer et al 2018;Hertwig et al 2012;Karin et al 2018;Matsui et al 2020;Mediyansyah et al 2019;Pui et al 2017;Quah et al 2019aQuah et al , 2020a. Our findings continue to lend support to the growing evidence that widely distributed species tend to be complexes and that their true diversity is not fully realised in the region (such as Arifin et al 2018;Chan et al 2020a,b;Grismer et al 2018;Mediyansyah et al 2019;Munir et al 2019;Quah et al 2019aQuah et al , 2020a. Our data also reveal some significant differences in the measurements of Abavorana luctuosa populations from the Thai-Malay Peninsula and Borneo which, along with the genetic data and their allopatry, indicates that these populations are evolving on separate evolutionary trajectories, which makes them candidates for their recognition as distinct species.…”

The gastromyzophorous tadpoles of Atelopus elegans and A. palmatus (Anura: Bufonidae), with comments on oral and suction structures

“…Besides the species of Atelopus, there are other groups being part of the gastromyzophorous ecomorphological guild such as bufonids (some species of the Rhinella veraguensis group) [38], and ranids (genus Amolops, Huia, Meristogenys, and Rana) [39]. Only few studies have focused on the structure of the abdominal sucker in these groups.…”

A new species of Microhyla (Anura: Microhylidae) from Sumatra, Indonesia

“…Sumatra had been explored for its amphibian diversities for long decades, but new species are continuously discovered from this Island until now. At least two new endemic genera (Sigalegalephrynus and Sumaterana) and 14 species of frogs have been described from this island in the last five years (Matsui et al, 2014;Riyanto & Kurniati, 2014;Streicher et al, 2014;Hamidy & Kurniati, 2015;Smart et al, 2017;Wostl et al, 2017;Arifin et al, 2018aArifin et al, & 2018bMunir et al, 2018). The finding of Microhyla gadjahmadai sp.…”