Tadpole, Oophagy, Advertisement Call, and Geographic Distribution of Aparasphenodon arapapa Pimenta, Napoli and Haddad 2009 (Anura, Hylidae)
The genus Aparasphenodon is poorly known. Of the four species, the larvae of only one have been described, and the advertisement calls of all taxa remain unknown. Here, we describe the tadpole, adult coloration, and advertisement calls of Aparasphenodon arapapa. We also provide data that extend its known distribution 170 km to the south, from the type locality in Ituberá to Una, Bahia, Brazil. In addition, we report larval morphology related to bromeligenous habitat specialization of tadpole and metamorph oophagy for the first time in the genus. The advertisement call is composed of one multipulsed note with mean duration of 150 ms. Whether the observed oophagy is obligatory or opportunistic remains unclear, suggesting that further studies are warranted. Our observations provide insight into the behavioral and morphological diversity in the genus Aparasphenodon, and may guide future studies of this unique group of anurans.Abstract
Tadpole Gosner's stage 39 of Aparasphenodon arapapa (ZUEC 16603) in dorsal (A), lateral (B), and ventral (C) views, and mouthparts (D).
Newly metamorphosed juvenile of Aparasphenodon arapapa (A), adult male recorded (ZUEC 16645) (B), and metamorphic frog with eggs in the stomach in lateral (C) and ventral (D) views.
Audiospectrogram (above) and waveform (below) of one advertisement call of Aparasphenodon arapapa (ZUEC 16645) recorded in the municipality of Una, Bahia, Brazil. Air temperature 26.7°C.
Distribution of Aparasphenodon arapapa in the vegetation map featuring the coastline of the state of Bahia, Brazil. Open circle corresponds to the type locality (Ituberá); closed circle corresponds to a previously known locality (Cairu); and triangles correspond to the new records from municipalities of Ilhéus and Una.
Contributor Notes
